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I don't understand the point he's making about traffic congestion. He's claiming that "Uber is putting more cars on the street". More compared to what? Compared

I don't understand the point he's making about traffic congestion. He's claiming that "Uber is putting more cars on the street". More compared to what? Compared to everyone driving themselves? If Uber wasn't around, the alternative would not be people taking public transport. The alternative wouldn't be people waiting 35 minutes for taxis. The alternative would be people driving in themselves, causing greater congestion, because they'd rather sit in traffic for an hour rather than stand out in the rain.

ezzaf 10y ago
That's an interesting question. I know I've tried to get a cab during a busy time and just given up and caught public transit home. Generally this is Friday and Saturday nights, when most people are in no condition to be driving themselves. I also find Uber fares are about price comparable to public transit when travelling with multiple people, and so for that reason I could see it displacing trips previously taken with public transit. Are you aware on any data on what transit modes the increased ridership of uber is displacing?
- tluyben2 10y ago
  Besides that I would rather walk than ever take public transit, I agree; Uber is comparable in price and definitely (much, sometimes 5-8x, but mostly 3x) cheaper than regular taxis. Public transit, in my mind, should be gov owned and be free, but I know a know that won't happen any time soon. So then I would always prefer Uber. Yesterday I had some snafu with my Uber registered phone number and had to take a normal cab in Hongkong; crap old car, pissed off driver, tried to take another route and more expensive than an Uber Black. Sorry, but how does that work? I sit in a dangerous vehicle that in my country probably would not pass ITV vs a monster of a new Toyota Vellfire or Audi A8 for more money??? In the UK when I travel with my colleagues an Uber is frequently not much more expensive and sometimes cheaper than public transit; I really don't get why people pay for that stuff if you can get door to door while being able to work in quiet and comfort. It's basically like a private driver for the price of a few train tickets... The most heard complaint is that public transit is more reliable and no traffic jams... But a warm/or AC car, quiet and comfortable is a work place you can trust; I don't mind jams in those. I do mind standing in a station for a cancelled train with 2000 of my best friends in the rain and then not even getting to the door of my destination for (almost) the same price... So I do think Uber does entice more cars on the streets; I am not sure if that's the case right now, but I definitely see that it is possible. Edit: on the other hand, if I would live close to / in a city with Uber, I would not buy a car... I use it way too little to warrent the hassle. I have no idea if there are more people who have that though; seems people still have this thing about owning a car even if it makes no sense. That's not some judgement; it makes sense in very many cases but it doesn't for me and it doesn't for many others but still they have one or two :)
m_t 10y ago
> If Uber wasn't around, the alternative would not be people taking public transport. Even in this thread you can find someone commenting that they stopped using public transport and are now using Uber.
kayoone 10y ago
Uber is not available in Germany but when i can't get a cab i will usually resort to public transport because i mostly use a cab when i am not allowed to drive anymore or parking in that area is impossible. Also a 20 minute Taxi ride alone can easily be 15-17EUR in Berlin, so it's kind of a pricy alternative when public transport would be 2,70 EUR for the same distance.
- pas 10y ago
  It was available in Berlin last year. Did they get "banned"?
- quanticle 10y ago
  Europe is not comparable to the US. Your public transit systems are far more developed. Even in Seattle, (which has a decent public transit system compared to where I grew up) you can be expected to wait an hour or more for a bus if you're traveling in off-peak times. Buses from the city to the inner-ring suburbs stop running around 11:30pm, so if you're planning on staying late in the city, driving or Uber are your only realistic options, given that many taxis show extreme reluctance to take people out to the suburbs. What's worse, is that sometimes the buses don't even show up. I remember once I showed up to the bus stop 10 minutes ahead of the last bus. I waited for an hour and the bus didn't show up. I tried calling a taxi, but as it turns out taxi companies want you to be at an actual address - giving them a random intersection doesn't cut it. Fortunately, I was able to call a friend who, to his eternal credit, drove me home, but if I'd had Uber in that situation, it would have been a lifesaver.

ezzaf 10y ago

That's an interesting question. I know I've tried to get a cab during a busy time and just given up and caught public transit home. Generally this is Friday and Saturday nights, when most people are in no condition to be driving themselves. I also find Uber fares are about price comparable to public transit when travelling with multiple people, and so for that reason I could see it displacing trips previously taken with public transit. Are you aware on any data on what transit modes the increased ridership of uber is displacing?

tluyben2 10y ago
Besides that I would rather walk than ever take public transit, I agree; Uber is comparable in price and definitely (much, sometimes 5-8x, but mostly 3x) cheaper than regular taxis. Public transit, in my mind, should be gov owned and be free, but I know a know that won't happen any time soon. So then I would always prefer Uber. Yesterday I had some snafu with my Uber registered phone number and had to take a normal cab in Hongkong; crap old car, pissed off driver, tried to take another route and more expensive than an Uber Black. Sorry, but how does that work? I sit in a dangerous vehicle that in my country probably would not pass ITV vs a monster of a new Toyota Vellfire or Audi A8 for more money??? In the UK when I travel with my colleagues an Uber is frequently not much more expensive and sometimes cheaper than public transit; I really don't get why people pay for that stuff if you can get door to door while being able to work in quiet and comfort. It's basically like a private driver for the price of a few train tickets... The most heard complaint is that public transit is more reliable and no traffic jams... But a warm/or AC car, quiet and comfortable is a work place you can trust; I don't mind jams in those. I do mind standing in a station for a cancelled train with 2000 of my best friends in the rain and then not even getting to the door of my destination for (almost) the same price... So I do think Uber does entice more cars on the streets; I am not sure if that's the case right now, but I definitely see that it is possible. Edit: on the other hand, if I would live close to / in a city with Uber, I would not buy a car... I use it way too little to warrent the hassle. I have no idea if there are more people who have that though; seems people still have this thing about owning a car even if it makes no sense. That's not some judgement; it makes sense in very many cases but it doesn't for me and it doesn't for many others but still they have one or two :)

m_t 10y ago

> If Uber wasn't around, the alternative would not be people taking public transport. Even in this thread you can find someone commenting that they stopped using public transport and are now using Uber.

kayoone 10y ago

Uber is not available in Germany but when i can't get a cab i will usually resort to public transport because i mostly use a cab when i am not allowed to drive anymore or parking in that area is impossible. Also a 20 minute Taxi ride alone can easily be 15-17EUR in Berlin, so it's kind of a pricy alternative when public transport would be 2,70 EUR for the same distance.

pas 10y ago
It was available in Berlin last year. Did they get "banned"?
quanticle 10y ago
Europe is not comparable to the US. Your public transit systems are far more developed. Even in Seattle, (which has a decent public transit system compared to where I grew up) you can be expected to wait an hour or more for a bus if you're traveling in off-peak times. Buses from the city to the inner-ring suburbs stop running around 11:30pm, so if you're planning on staying late in the city, driving or Uber are your only realistic options, given that many taxis show extreme reluctance to take people out to the suburbs. What's worse, is that sometimes the buses don't even show up. I remember once I showed up to the bus stop 10 minutes ahead of the last bus. I waited for an hour and the bus didn't show up. I tried calling a taxi, but as it turns out taxi companies want you to be at an actual address - giving them a random intersection doesn't cut it. Fortunately, I was able to call a friend who, to his eternal credit, drove me home, but if I'd had Uber in that situation, it would have been a lifesaver.