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I'll post a comment from ProductHunt, which might give a bit more context to where the founder sees this going, and why cash rides make sense under certain circ

by spIrr 10y ago

I'll post a comment from ProductHunt, which might give a bit more context to where the founder sees this going, and why cash rides make sense under certain circumstances he designed the app for: […] I have gone to the founder's blog and it provides a better understanding of where he sees it going: Uber (and similar apps) will never reach many remote villages, cities and regions around the world (and don't have to), but technology could greatly help the local communities in solving their transportation problems that are as "simple" as getting from point A to point B with no other feasible options available. For more details, here's the founder's blog on this: https://medium.com/@romanpushkin/how-i-made-uber-like-app-in-no-time-with-javascript-and-secret-sauce-94ef9120c7f6#.dc99pd5qm https://medium.com/@romanpushkin/how-i-made-uber-like-app-in...

sah2ed 10y ago
Was scratching my head why anyone would build an Uber clone but his explanation makes perfect sense. He is tackling a market that Uber might never enter -- rural areas.
- wahsd 10y ago
  I don't understand why they wouldn't enter those markets. Is there really some insurmountable hurdle to extending this mobile and internet based service? It makes no sense to me? Sure it would not be as quick because there would not be as many drivers, but there's no harm in just offering it for facilitation of ride sharing, is there? It is maybe that they just don't see the value of fighting small localities and their taxi mafias? Can someone shed some light on what might be hampering that.
superquest 10y ago
If they're playing a long-tail game like this, would it make accepting credit card payments more difficult? Maybe that's why they don't handle payment? I know these Stripe-like APIs advertise that building one integration will allow you to send (to driver) and receive (from rider) money in many different currencies, but I have to believe it would be extremely tough to do. Support overhead alone would be large. Is this accurate? I also imagine that these more remote communities have more of a cash economy than urban communities, but this is a complete guess.
parasanti 10y ago
Uber is trying to address the Credit Card issues after it noticed that lots of Singaporeans, maids and foreign labor do not have credit cards but still needs the service. They accept cash now. https://www.techinasia.com/uber-cash-payments-singapore https://www.techinasia.com/uber-cash-payments-singapore
- enitihas 10y ago
  In India, Uber accepts cash as well as PayTM, and this has helped adoption.
- ValentineC 10y ago
  I think it's more because Grab (Uber's competitor in Singapore) has always had the cash option from the start (Grab introduced GrabPay — their credit card option — after) [1], and Uber was trying to match the "feature". [1] https://vulcanpost.com/171862/grabtaxi-uber-challenge-cashless-payment/ https://vulcanpost.com/171862/grabtaxi-uber-challenge-cashle...
  - pajop 10y ago
    In the Philippines, Uber accepts cash. It has the options UberX, Uber Black, UberPool and UberHop (point-to-point)
- nashashmi 10y ago
  Wouldn't it be worthwhile to have an Uber membership card or something so they don't have to carry cash.
  - herbst 10y ago
    Most people dont mind caring cash. Personally i prefer it to digitalized closed systems whenever possible.
- arsmoriendi 10y ago
  I think Uber accepts cash in Argetina too. At least in Buenos Aires.
tibu 10y ago
So we think that they live in remote villages using smartphones but no electronic payment? Is this really a valid use case?
- cryptozeus 10y ago
  This is very much the case I have seen atlest in India. People have access to cheap smart phones.
- FabHK 10y ago
  Having traveled extensively in Asia, I know and have met LOTS of people that have a smartphone (typically some Chinese android thing), but no credit cards, and sometimes not even a local bank card.
radarsat1 10y ago
> technology could greatly help the local communities in solving their transportation problems that are as "simple" as getting from point A to point B with no other feasible options available In rural communities here in Chile, and also in smaller towns, there is an amazing solution to this called Collectivo. I had never heard of it before arriving, but man it's the greatest thing. It's something in-between a bus and a taxi: a taxi with a predefined route. So if you're on a route, which there are many, you flag down a collectivo as it passes, and since both you and the driver already know where it's going, it'll stop for you even if there are already people in the car. What makes this amazing is that it's cheap because the route is pre-set, and it's shared, and the driver can just go all day knowing there will be people along the route, and doesn't have to finish one ride before starting another. But meanwhile they'll generally go partially off their route if you request it, and it's not too much of a bother. Why don't North American rural areas do this? It's a really great way to get around, and makes it so you can live (or at least visit) in rural areas without owning a car.
- Groxx 10y ago
  That's kinda what uber 'pool' and lyft 'line' are. Continual on/off of passengers, but without set routes - you join people close to the car's current route. Pre-set routes seem distinctly worse. By definition they don't flex to handle new / temporary traffic patterns. Though they do have a super-huge benefit of not needing an app / real-time requests - in some cases that's a requirement.
  - foota 10y ago
    I think a large benefit that is offers is a better bounded time limit for how long it will take to get to your destination. Pool can take a highly variable amount of time.
    - Groxx 10y ago
      Only if it runs on time :) But good point.
- deleted 10y ago
contingencies 10y ago
Uber (and similar apps) will never reach many remote villages Here in China you can get long distance ride-sharing to remote locations with the shunfengche service of Dididache. It's very popular, particularly since transportation options to some areas are limited and bus stations are often located in irritatingly obtuse urban peripheral locations.

by spIrr 10y ago

sah2ed 10y ago

Was scratching my head why anyone would build an Uber clone but his explanation makes perfect sense. He is tackling a market that Uber might never enter -- rural areas.

wahsd 10y ago
I don't understand why they wouldn't enter those markets. Is there really some insurmountable hurdle to extending this mobile and internet based service? It makes no sense to me? Sure it would not be as quick because there would not be as many drivers, but there's no harm in just offering it for facilitation of ride sharing, is there? It is maybe that they just don't see the value of fighting small localities and their taxi mafias? Can someone shed some light on what might be hampering that.

superquest 10y ago

If they're playing a long-tail game like this, would it make accepting credit card payments more difficult? Maybe that's why they don't handle payment? I know these Stripe-like APIs advertise that building one integration will allow you to send (to driver) and receive (from rider) money in many different currencies, but I have to believe it would be extremely tough to do. Support overhead alone would be large. Is this accurate? I also imagine that these more remote communities have more of a cash economy than urban communities, but this is a complete guess.

parasanti 10y ago

Uber is trying to address the Credit Card issues after it noticed that lots of Singaporeans, maids and foreign labor do not have credit cards but still needs the service. They accept cash now. https://www.techinasia.com/uber-cash-payments-singapore https://www.techinasia.com/uber-cash-payments-singapore

enitihas 10y ago
In India, Uber accepts cash as well as PayTM, and this has helped adoption.
ValentineC 10y ago
I think it's more because Grab (Uber's competitor in Singapore) has always had the cash option from the start (Grab introduced GrabPay — their credit card option — after) [1], and Uber was trying to match the "feature". [1] https://vulcanpost.com/171862/grabtaxi-uber-challenge-cashless-payment/ https://vulcanpost.com/171862/grabtaxi-uber-challenge-cashle...
- pajop 10y ago
  In the Philippines, Uber accepts cash. It has the options UberX, Uber Black, UberPool and UberHop (point-to-point)
nashashmi 10y ago
Wouldn't it be worthwhile to have an Uber membership card or something so they don't have to carry cash.
- herbst 10y ago
  Most people dont mind caring cash. Personally i prefer it to digitalized closed systems whenever possible.
arsmoriendi 10y ago
I think Uber accepts cash in Argetina too. At least in Buenos Aires.

tibu 10y ago

So we think that they live in remote villages using smartphones but no electronic payment? Is this really a valid use case?

cryptozeus 10y ago
This is very much the case I have seen atlest in India. People have access to cheap smart phones.
FabHK 10y ago
Having traveled extensively in Asia, I know and have met LOTS of people that have a smartphone (typically some Chinese android thing), but no credit cards, and sometimes not even a local bank card.

radarsat1 10y ago

> technology could greatly help the local communities in solving their transportation problems that are as "simple" as getting from point A to point B with no other feasible options available In rural communities here in Chile, and also in smaller towns, there is an amazing solution to this called Collectivo. I had never heard of it before arriving, but man it's the greatest thing. It's something in-between a bus and a taxi: a taxi with a predefined route. So if you're on a route, which there are many, you flag down a collectivo as it passes, and since both you and the driver already know where it's going, it'll stop for you even if there are already people in the car. What makes this amazing is that it's cheap because the route is pre-set, and it's shared, and the driver can just go all day knowing there will be people along the route, and doesn't have to finish one ride before starting another. But meanwhile they'll generally go partially off their route if you request it, and it's not too much of a bother. Why don't North American rural areas do this? It's a really great way to get around, and makes it so you can live (or at least visit) in rural areas without owning a car.

Groxx 10y ago
That's kinda what uber 'pool' and lyft 'line' are. Continual on/off of passengers, but without set routes - you join people close to the car's current route. Pre-set routes seem distinctly worse. By definition they don't flex to handle new / temporary traffic patterns. Though they do have a super-huge benefit of not needing an app / real-time requests - in some cases that's a requirement.
- foota 10y ago
  I think a large benefit that is offers is a better bounded time limit for how long it will take to get to your destination. Pool can take a highly variable amount of time.
  - Groxx 10y ago
    Only if it runs on time :) But good point.
deleted 10y ago

contingencies 10y ago

Uber (and similar apps) will never reach many remote villages Here in China you can get long distance ride-sharing to remote locations with the shunfengche service of Dididache. It's very popular, particularly since transportation options to some areas are limited and bus stations are often located in irritatingly obtuse urban peripheral locations.