UBER In Ottawa

[Johnny Canuck 5347]

What is your thoughts on the recent vigilanteism by taxi drivers in Ottawa against UBER drivers? Are you for or against rideshare apps like this?

[Guest N***he**Ont**y]

As I work in the transportation industry I have several strong feelings about this. Did you know that Uber doesn't have a registered insurer in Ontario? Transporting for hire in a private car is a breech of insurance policies for private coverage. They had better have commercial coverage or they could be in for a very rude shock should an accident happens and coverage is denied for non disclosure.

[Johnny Canuck 5347]

Agreed, although the same could be said about pizza delivery drivers to an extent. I have mixed feelings on this subject but here is one that is against UBER as a company. UBER states that they will cover the cost of fines the drivers receive, but I highly doubt they would pay the increase in insurance premiums the drivers will receive.

[Boomer 33202]

I think its a bit of a hoot, ironic that the taxi driver is hiring them for a ride just so he can film them.

 

I think that John Tory has the right idea, you can't stop the advance of technology, so lets sit down and have a rational conversation with all the participants and come up with some new rules which can accommodate everyone involved in the industry. The share economy is here to stay. Lots of regulations stymie progress and are expensive which leads to high prices.

[Kathryn Bardot 99339]

As someone who has been propositioned and cat-called by taxi drivers more times than I could possibly count, and even reported a driver who masturbated in the cab while driving me home (I found out when I tried to pay the fare and he wasn't, uhm, "finished"), I welcome this disruption to the near-monopoly Coventry Connections has on taxis, and that challenges the completely screwed-up way that plates work.

[Guest *Ste***cque**]

Apparently we also have UBER in Halifax.The insurance issue in Canada is still not settled and you may have coverage issues if you are injured as a passenger in an UBER vehicle. These operators are required under their auto insurance policy to advise of ANY commercial use of their vehicle. Failure to do so would most likely void their coverage and leave them on the hook to replace their damaged car and pay damages to injured parties. Not smart for anyone with assets. Either way, passengers could be SOL. A bit of a liability issue as well for any municipalities that knowingly allow uninsured operators to conduct business in their city?

 

I don't see the insurance issue getting settled anytime soon. Once it is, I guess I like the idea. Although drivers are just substituting one "pimp"(taxi cabals) for another(Uber).

 

What do people think about UBER's supply side market pricing? The greater the demand for cars the greater the fare? Taxi's don't do that, do they?

[bcguy42 38594]

To my knowledge taxis do not do "surge" pricing like Uber. Think about it,when you really,really need a ride, Uber will jack their rate double or whatever.

 

Taxi rates are controlled by city regulations. Yet one more way Uber operates to Uber advantage, not your's.

 

By the way, I have a linguistic issue about this Uber thing. It is not "ride sharing". Sharing is where I'm going to work or school or the game. You need a ride. We share the car.

 

Uber, for all the corporate protestations that Uber is just an app, is a commercial exercise. You want a ride. You pay me. I give you a ride. Sounds commercial to me.

 

Did anyone else hear that Uber pulled out of Broward County, Florida? Other commercial drivers (taxis) are fingerprinted. Uber refused to have Uber drivers printed. A couple of other Florida jurisdictions are considering requiring finger prints. Uber has warned they'll leave those jurisdictions, too.

 

I've got no problem with Uber if they will agree to the same expenses as other commercial transportation options. Everyone playing by the same rules. But the way they want to operate, where the drivers ignore the expenses taxi drivers are mandated to pay, is not fair

 

Regarding the self-pleasuring taxi drivers, there are Uber drivers awaiting trial on charges of sexual assault. In any large group of people, statistically speaking, there will be creeps and perverts.

 

But... There is a tendency of a portion of the market to want the lowest cost item regardless of the true cost. $4 shirts are available because of outfits like Rana Plaza in Bangladesh. There are very few electronics manufactured in North America because everyone wants $99 Flat Screens manufactured in horrendous conditions "someplace else".

 

I feel someone wants to use Uber, go for it. But understand what it really costs and pray there's no accident.

 

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fl-uber-broward-withdraw-20150706-story.html

[Kathryn Bardot 99339]

Regarding the self-pleasuring taxi drivers, there are Uber drivers awaiting trial on charges of sexual assault. In any large group of people, statistically speaking, there will be creeps and perverts.

 

Yes, but when drivers get a number of complaints, Uber terminates them. Good luck getting the same from the City of Ottawa or the Ottawa Police or even Coventry. I tried.

[Guest S****r]

The taxi guys lost any sympathy that I had for them when they secretly recorded that Uber driver and then posted it online.

[Kathryn Bardot 99339]

Or disrupted the airport parkway today.

[Guest N***he**Ont**y]

Its unfortunate but you cant paint everyone in the same picture as what happened to you. Like in any profession there are good and bad apples.