Having spent a year in Ottawa for school, it still seems insanely weird to me that Vancouver doesn’t have Uber. Now, I can already feel the taxi-enthusiasts coming at me, but hear me out. In my opinion, Uber is better than a regular cab in so many ways. Since most people in Vancouver may have never had an experience with Uber, here are some pros and cons you should know from someone who has used the service too many times to count.
1. Generally, Uber is cheaper than a taxi, EXCEPT when there is surge pricing.
A cab ride to the Ottawa airport from the UOttawa campus cost me $40 including tip, while I paid $19 with Uber. Cost varies from where you are being picked up, but for me, a 10-minute drive has always been around $6. However, surge pricing sucks. In order to get more drivers on the road, Uber raises their prices. This means that on weekends and special days such as New Years, it will be more expensive than normal. This can cause problems when you can’t find a cab but also don’t want to pay 5 times the normal fare for an Uber.
2. Technically, Uber is illegal.
The drivers are uninsured and the service is unlicensed, so it’s basically “use at your own risk.” However, Edmonton is the first Canadian city to legalize ride-sharing services such as Uber, so who knows how long this will be an issue? Ottawa also wants to regulate Uber, but there has been influence from cities, such as Toronto, where there has been a huge crackdown against the service.
3. Payments are all done through the app.
It is insanely simple to pay for your Uber. You just link your credit card or your visa debit to your account and it takes the money out for you. Simple as that. No cash, no hassle, and there is a fare estimate option so you are fully aware of around how much money you will be paying. Also, on average, 80% of the gross fares go back to the driver, which is a good thing for them.
4. You will always know exactly where the car is at any given time.
From the moment you open the app, an estimated wait time is given to you as to how far away the driver is. You know how long you have to wait and you can even see exactly where they are in relation to you on the map shown. You also know exactly how long it will take you to get to your destination and the route is shown on both your phone and the driver’s phone. This way, you will never need to worry about them taking you down sketchy back roads or abandoning your destination altogether. You can always make sure you’ll be taking the fastest route to where you’re going.
5. Generally, Uber has nicer drivers and cleaner vehicles.
Uber has a 5-star ranking system in place to maintain the professional atmosphere and to keep people safe. Drivers have to maintain a certain ranking in order to continue making money. This way, drivers are more inclined to be friendly and will even offer things like gum or water to their passengers. This eliminates the fear of having a creepy taxi driver at night. I can honestly say that I have never felt threatened or unsafe while alone in an Uber, but I can’t even count how many times a cab driver has made an inappropriate comment or has made me uncomfortable.
6. Uber provides unfair competition for cab drivers.
Since Uber is technically illegal, it does not pay taxes or any licensing fees. This allows them to offer cheaper fares and the drivers to use their own vehicles. These drivers are just normal people like you and me, so they are not professionally trained, nor have they gone through any extensive background checks. Cab drivers, however, have to pay much more in fees and licensing, so they are automatically set at a disadvantage.
Personally, I like using Uber. I find the overall experience much better, and being a student, the cheaper fares are a big bonus. The competition is also making cab companies realize that they need to step their game up if they want to continue getting customers. Edmonton cab drivers have recently implemented new strategies to “win back” customers they’ve lost from Uber. As a preventative measure, Vancouver cab companies have also launched an app called eCab, which is essentially the same as Uber, just for four different Vancouver cab companies.
Who knows if Uber will ever make it to Vancouver? But just in case it does, these are the ins and outs you would need to know about this ride-sharing service.