I had the chance to experience Uber last year when Stacia and I were in Salt Lake City, Utah for the USANA International Convention. (We also did Air BnB that trip, which was a blast.) Since then, with my day job role changing, I’ve spent a ton of time in Philly, New York, New Jersey, and Boston. Uber has been a welcome alternative to conventional taxis.
From about a month’s worth of experience (around 20 rides), Uber is way better than traditional taxis. I have yet to feel like any Uber driver has a death wish, unlike cabbies in New York and Philly. The vehicles have been consistently clean. The drivers are all friendly, and in general they’re way more laid back. One of my favorite drivers was a retired guy in Boston named Joe. He told me that I was his last fare of the day even though it was 8:30 in the morning. When I asked him what he meant, he just smiled and said “my golf clubs are in the trunk. I was just looking for a way to make a couple bucks on the way to the course.”
One of the most interesting aspects of Uber was leveraging the service while we were in Montreal. The situation with Uber and Quebec is in a really strange place right now. Technically, Uber isn’t 100% legal or illegal in the province. There’s a gray area. Taxi drivers in the city have to buy a permit to become ride sharing professionals. Uber previously didn’t require this permit. There is pending legislature requiring Uber drivers to apply for the same permit. In the interim, Uber drivers could operate in the city, but the Minister of Transportation had the authority to hit them with a fine. (Our driver insisted that someone sit up front so it was less visually obvious that we were in a non-taxi ride share.)
Even stranger, Uber would pay the fine, but the driver’s car would be impounded. Uber would provide a temporary vehicle. So, Uber has proposed a compromise that creates a tax-type of situation for the province. The permit costs too much for most drivers, who only drive part-time. Instead, the compromise would create a specific category for Uber as a ride sharing service. The company would pay an annual fee of $100,000, and a portion of the ride fees ($0.35 per ride) would be provided to Quebec. The estimated first year proceeds are right around $3 million.
My experience with Uber has been universally positive, but I’ve heard from others who use competitive service. I’d love to hear more from you about your experience.
One Love,
nK
