Is rideshare the future of taxi service?

In the past year, Uber’s uprising has given the traditional taxi services, which have been providing more or less the same level of experiences across the globe, a reconsideration to up its game. Now, Uber operates in 128 cities across 37 countries, so it is not a question of if the traditional cab services will be taken by Uber and founders, Travis Kalanick & Garrett Camp, but when we are expecting this “shared ride” trend to become mainstream.

Ride Sharing – environmentally friendlier?

There is definitely an upside in seeing more players join this industry which in turn, could drive down the price, and force traditional cab drivers to offer more unique and premium services in order to stay on the same level as their current biggest competitors- Uber and Lyft for example. Besides bringing more options to the current eco-system of transportation, another benefit derived from the shared ride concept is that it could potentially reduce the number of automobile drivers on the road while reducing carbon dioxide emission to the atmosphere. In fact, as early as the 1940s during the second world war, shared rides have been widely advocated by the U.S government to save tires and fuel in order to supply US war efforts in the overseas combats, as this poster portrays best. An increase of transportation network means more of us will be sharing rides instead of having to get behind the wheel. For instance, if you, as a driver, decide to take a trip to SXSW in Austin, instead of renting a vehicle or smart car, Uber could be the answer.

It comes with a hidden cost as well

As the shared ride companies are still in their rudimentary stages, safety is still a widely regarded concern. For females passengers, the option to have a private cab arrived at your destination with simple commands on the app seems like an attractive option. Although different safety measurements have been taken and implemented, “rideshare” software companies still have a long way to go when it comes to the enforcing a thorough background check on the drivers who have signed up with Uber, and the standard to operate their own cab business seems to be more lax than to obtain a license to drive a cab in cities. A Taxi driver is subjected to higher standard, including a drug test, fingerprinting and a criminal background check, a defensive driving course, and a sex trafficking awareness course. In fact, this article depicted the fundamental issue and experiences from a regular Uber user herself, the safety of these new means of transportation has yet to be proven.

More room to grow

Yes, shared ride could be the solution to greener environment, and yes, more competition could mean a healthier market which ultimately benefits mass consumers. However, given the rapid growth of the shared ride industry, regulation is yet to be determined and it will continue to affect the direction of companies like Uber and Lyft. If they could solve the safety concerns and bring more drivers and passengers to use their apps, the potential could be unlimited.