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Traditional taxi drivers need to be less grubby -- Uber was able to take advantage of that. How important a factor that is would depend on the country or city.
by itazula 12y ago
Traditional taxi drivers need to be less grubby -- Uber was able to take advantage of that. How important a factor that is would depend on the country or city. But in some countries, it may be a way of filtering for drivers that speak English. For example, for Tokyo, Uber lists a flat rate of 40,000 yen, roughly 400 USD (!), for a ride from Narita Airport to any of the 23 wards of Tokyo. Pretty steep, given that a very nice bus, hotel shuttle, or express train is less than a tenth of that cost. Of course, the "last mile" is a consideration. For taxis, though, there are already established taxi services; http://www.narita-airport.jp/en/access/bus/#taxi http://www.narita-airport.jp/en/access/bus/#taxi shows that fixed fares range from 16,000 - 26,500 yen.
- DINKDINK 12y agoI never understood the disdain for Uber's pricing. Who cares if they charge considerably higher than other services? No one is forcing you to take their service. Do you get upset when people buy an M-Class Mercedes? Would I ever buy one? No. Do I think it's extravagant? Yes. Do I care how other people spend their money? No
- itazula 12y agoI actually wouldn't mind if certain conspicuous, extravagant (and conspicuously wealthy) celebrities opted for an Uber taxi. Nope, wouldn't mind it one bit.
- astrange 12y agoDoes Uber guarantee English-speaking drivers in Japan? I mean, that hardly seems important when the usual taxi companies carry around lists of common phrases you can point at, and you only have to say a destination landmark. Riding Narita into Tokyo in a taxi just seems so inefficient anyway (for <4 people). One Google Maps printout saves you tens of thousands of yens.