Getting into political stories isn’t what I want to do. With Uber, it becomes a challenge especially when you look at the situation with Uber Vancouver. No question that Uber is aggressive in their effort. Cart before the horse? That’s the Uber way.
Now in British Columbia, the BC government is putting up the warnings to Uber. Apparently having ICBC in the province of BC makes them different than other provinces. Uber Ottawa rolled out before any city approval happened. Could Uber do the same in Vancouver? So far they have done their campaigning for hiring drivers and now it appears they are hiring managers for the Vancouver Uber program. Remember when I said putting the cart before the horse?
I think when the provincial government threatens fines of up to $5,000 and that undercover enforcement officers will be out there monitoring the situation, this is a mighty threat to Uber and their aggressive plans. Obviously the city doesn’t want to step on the toes of the taxi industry. The taxi industry obviously sees Uber as the greatest threat to their livelihood. If you look at San Francisco, the proof is in the pudding. The taxi industry in that city has been devastated.
Here is the crux of the issue. Consumers out there obviously love Uber. If they didn’t then you wouldn’t see them climb to such heights. In business, everyone should operate under the same rules. Uber apparently can operate under a different set of rules and without much in the way of penalty. But there is more to this story.
What is it that Uber is doing better? It might actually be showing the politicians and cities out there what is wrong with their existing and by far outdated taxi services and system. If Uber can grow like they have, it’s all because consumers find it better. Thus, shouldn’t the industry and the cities really wake up and get with the times? The industry is obviously bogged down to the point where they can’t react to what consumers want. I think it’s more than just cheaper fares. I’m sure reliability has something to do with it. Isn’t there some aspect of the Uber system that a courageous taxi company can implement? I think change might be a better solution to Uber than threatening them with fines and penalties.
Uber isn’t innocent either. Obviously the recent global day of protest by their drivers says something. They are growing at such a pace that they will likely face the many pitfalls that rapid growth causes. Greed and compensation often are out of balance. If you ask Uber drivers today, it seems that their incomes are in decline. As this moves along, drivers will want more. Unions might form and the red tape increases. They may likely become a victim of their own success.
I’m neutral on Uber. If anything, I hope that the aspect of Uber that make it desirable to consumers can be looked at hard by governments and cities. Sometimes technology and the convenience it brings should be used as a way to encourage change. I’m sure there is more to Uber’s success than just cheap fares. I think it might having something to do with prompt and punctual drivers. I think it also has something to do with drivers competing with other drivers trying to attain positive user reviews. I’m sure most consumers appreciate the professionalism and regulation of the taxi service. I’m sure if given the choice, most consumers would prefer using a taxi service if all things were equal. Am I wrong about that?
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