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>It seems we all want a situation with the regulations, guarantees and protections that are currently provided by the laws AND the convenience and benefits of U

by x1798DE 12y ago

>It seems we all want a situation with the regulations, guarantees and protections that are currently provided by the laws AND the convenience and benefits of Uber. Unfortunately they are mutually exclusive. If we allowed taxis to charge more for fares and to skirt the other regulations that they are currently bound to, I'd expect that the taxi landscape would improve immensely Personally, I don't want that, but that's just me. However, I don't see how they are mutually exclusive. If you want to take a ride from a regulated, "safe" taxi, then you still have the option if Uber is around. The only problem is that people don't care about regulation that much, which is why taxis are hurting from the advent of Uber. Why did you request a second uber during the price surge (if you didn't realize that Uber was going to pay you back)? Why not just call a taxi?

kevingadd 12y ago
> If you want to take a ride from a regulated, "safe" taxi, then you still have the option if Uber is around. Until Uber muscles out taxis in certain localities, which will happen if they continue to offer (on average) lower prices and (on average) better service, thanks in part to not having to comply with regulations or obey the law. This isn't a hypothetical scenario either; this is the business model for this kidn of VC-backed growth startup: Grow your market, hopefully without losing too much money, and then eventually transition into charging reasonable prices and monetizing the shit out of your large audience. If they can muscle most of their competitors out of the market in the process, they'll have an easier time retaining their customer base and be able to charge higher prices. There are lots of other companies applying the same strategy, some even in the same market.
pfranz 12y ago
"The only problem is that people don't care about regulation that much" The whole point of regulation is to make up for things the market doesn't handle very well. Sadly, the realities don't always live up to that ideal. I do care that my driver is insured properly (I'm paranoid like that), but in my experience generally taxi service has been terrible. Paying via credit card, summoning via gps, and live eta for taxi arrival all address the biggest frustrations I've had with taxi service. I just want to make sure they have the same level of vetting, training, safety equipment, and insurance that everyone has already decided for that kind of service.

by x1798DE 12y ago

kevingadd 12y ago

> If you want to take a ride from a regulated, "safe" taxi, then you still have the option if Uber is around. Until Uber muscles out taxis in certain localities, which will happen if they continue to offer (on average) lower prices and (on average) better service, thanks in part to not having to comply with regulations or obey the law. This isn't a hypothetical scenario either; this is the business model for this kidn of VC-backed growth startup: Grow your market, hopefully without losing too much money, and then eventually transition into charging reasonable prices and monetizing the shit out of your large audience. If they can muscle most of their competitors out of the market in the process, they'll have an easier time retaining their customer base and be able to charge higher prices. There are lots of other companies applying the same strategy, some even in the same market.

pfranz 12y ago

"The only problem is that people don't care about regulation that much" The whole point of regulation is to make up for things the market doesn't handle very well. Sadly, the realities don't always live up to that ideal. I do care that my driver is insured properly (I'm paranoid like that), but in my experience generally taxi service has been terrible. Paying via credit card, summoning via gps, and live eta for taxi arrival all address the biggest frustrations I've had with taxi service. I just want to make sure they have the same level of vetting, training, safety equipment, and insurance that everyone has already decided for that kind of service.