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Here's a solution. Create a ride sharing platform that lets the drivers actually be business owners. An Uber clone that would allow drivers bid on the price of

Here's a solution. Create a ride sharing platform that lets the drivers actually be business owners. An Uber clone that would allow drivers bid on the price of the ride and the "business" would take a small cut. The value Uber created was getting people to buy into letting strangers (other than taxies) drive them around and convincing people who otherwise wouldn't be taxi drivers to become ones. So now that those two barriers have been broken down why not take advantage of it? Would be easy to recruit the drivers and why wouldn't they join such a network?

prepend 7y ago
Isn’t this how Austin RideShare works? I’m surprised there aren’t more co-ops using this kind of tech. I understand why the Facebook clones don’t work because of the lack of economy of scale, but since ridesharing is really kind of local, it should occur more. I suspect that the regulatory environment is tough for co-ops to fight because they don’t have the deep pockets to fight city hall when taxis complain.
- thegabez 7y ago
  I'm not surprised, local ride shares have been around forever. The reason they are not more popular is because the user experience is very bad.
pjc50 7y ago
Isn't that what Gett is?
- thegabez 7y ago
  Gett leverages only existing black cab drivers, in Europe at least. An average Uber driver could not become a Gett driver.
  - Tijdreiziger 7y ago
    > Gett leverages only existing black cab drivers, in Europe at least. This is also the case for Uber in various European countries.
ISL 7y ago
The difficulty would appear to be that there are more people who would like to drive than there are riders who would like to ride at a wage that the drivers would prefer. Ride-share drivers already have a way to signal to the market that ride-share wages are too low -- choosing to do something other than drive. It is the absence of an alternative source of income that would make low ride-share wages painful. Once ride-share drivers meet the minimum threshold for driver quality/safety, they are, perhaps unfortunately, a commodity in the eyes of the market, and commodity markets are brutal.
- thegabez 7y ago
  That is why this would work. Ride prices becoming a bidding war between drivers. Say the price of an Uber ride is $5.00, why wouldn't a driver bid $4.50 for the same ride, they take more of the profits? Furthermore, if I'm a driver at the end of my shift and that rider wants to go to the corner store next to my home, I'd bid even lower to win the ride. Thus, drivers and riders are better off.

prepend 7y ago

Isn’t this how Austin RideShare works? I’m surprised there aren’t more co-ops using this kind of tech. I understand why the Facebook clones don’t work because of the lack of economy of scale, but since ridesharing is really kind of local, it should occur more. I suspect that the regulatory environment is tough for co-ops to fight because they don’t have the deep pockets to fight city hall when taxis complain.

thegabez 7y ago
I'm not surprised, local ride shares have been around forever. The reason they are not more popular is because the user experience is very bad.

pjc50 7y ago

Isn't that what Gett is?

thegabez 7y ago
Gett leverages only existing black cab drivers, in Europe at least. An average Uber driver could not become a Gett driver.
- Tijdreiziger 7y ago
  > Gett leverages only existing black cab drivers, in Europe at least. This is also the case for Uber in various European countries.

ISL 7y ago

The difficulty would appear to be that there are more people who would like to drive than there are riders who would like to ride at a wage that the drivers would prefer. Ride-share drivers already have a way to signal to the market that ride-share wages are too low -- choosing to do something other than drive. It is the absence of an alternative source of income that would make low ride-share wages painful. Once ride-share drivers meet the minimum threshold for driver quality/safety, they are, perhaps unfortunately, a commodity in the eyes of the market, and commodity markets are brutal.

thegabez 7y ago
That is why this would work. Ride prices becoming a bidding war between drivers. Say the price of an Uber ride is $5.00, why wouldn't a driver bid $4.50 for the same ride, they take more of the profits? Furthermore, if I'm a driver at the end of my shift and that rider wants to go to the corner store next to my home, I'd bid even lower to win the ride. Thus, drivers and riders are better off.