Uber To Sell Software, Starting With Four-Van Transit Service (bloomberg.com) 27
Uber is getting into software. The company is making the technology that powers its ride-hailing business available to others, starting with public transit agencies. From a report: California's Marin County transportation providers are the first customers to buy access to Uber's software in a deal the company announced Wednesday. The tie-up represents a potential new revenue stream for Uber at a time when the company could use it. "This is not a one-off. This is a new product and a new business," said David Reich, head of Uber Transit, adding that the company intends to partner with other transit agencies in the future. "Together we want to make car ownership a thing of the past."
Private Car Ownership a think of the past??? Nah.. (Score:3, Informative)
But I cannot see my life without a private car (more than 1 in most families).
I mean, I don't want to depend on a service for my weekly grocery shopping.
I often read the sale circulars for the various grocery stores and I'll hit 2 or more to get what's on sale...I base my weekly menus off this largely...saves $$ and keeps me from getting into a rut cooking the same thing too often.
What about those of us that own boats? It's quite popular in southern LA, this is the sportsman's paradise after all.
You can't really tow anything with Uber.
Camping?
I also doubt you're gonna see many uber types wanting to help you run around and get a few 40+ lb bags of crawfish to bring home for a boil for friends...and the ancillary items too.
For many of ua, a VERY appreciable number...public transportion does not suit or fit our lifestyle in the US.
If you live in one of the few, very heavily, densely populated urban cities, ok, sure...but for most the realestate in the US, that just does not cut it and you need your own privately owned vehicles to have a quality of life.
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When Uber started it was promoted more a tool for people who wanted to car pool to work. As Gas prices were really high at that point. So it was a cheap and effective way to carpool to work. On a day the driver will pick up people on his way to work, and get paid for his effort. Then perhaps the next day he would take a ride with someone else.
The 2008 Recession, boosted Uber, as a lot of people were out of work, and went for Uber driving as a way to make money, and pay off the bills.
This turned it to a mo
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People that think private car ownership is going away probably don't have families or live in suburbia.
And with the Covid scare more people are looking to get out of the cities and live in suburban and rural areas. I know a wealthy guy with apartments in midtown Manhattan and Boston who has relocated to the middle of nowhere in Vermont for months, and is looking for a permanent residence there. Taking taxis in downtown Boston makes sense. For everything else he uses one of his cars.
As for me, I will be d
Re: Private Car Ownership a think of the past??? N (Score:2)
Or they recognize that driving services can handle all of that.
Think of rich people. They have drivers. Their kids have drivers. They rent a jet when the family goes on a trip.
Now, think of normal people. They have Uber drivers. Their kids have Uber drivers. They rent a van when the family goes on a trip.
Car ownership is expensive and inefficient. We just haven't solved all the problems of ride sharing to replace it yet.
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Or they recognize that driving services can handle all of that.
Think of rich people. They have drivers. Their kids have drivers. They rent a jet when the family goes on a trip.
Now, think of normal people. They have Uber drivers. Their kids have Uber drivers. They rent a van when the family goes on a trip.
Car ownership is expensive and inefficient. We just haven't solved all the problems of ride sharing to replace it yet.
WRT "Their kids have Uber drivers", Uber minimum unaccompanied passenger age is 18.
Driving age here though is 17
How many kids do you have? Any infants? How many are in car seats? Are they on sports teams? Is your monthly grocery bill huge? Do you live in the suburbs or a rural area? Do you have a house and grounds to maintain?
If you can't relate to any of the above you really don't know what you are talking about.
Re: Private Car Ownership a think of the past??? (Score:2)
I actually do know what I'm talking about, but you're too stuck in conventional thinking, so you can't see it.
We're talking about the future, not the present.
There is nothing stopping Uber or any other company from taking your kids places. It's a problem of background checks, training, and trust networks. Just because they don't do it today doesn't mean someone else won't do it tomorrow.
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Who the fuck does this?!?!
This is not common in the US.
Private vehicle (usually > 1 in a family is the norm.
Re: Private Car Ownership a think of the past??? (Score:2)
That's hardly the point. The point is that there is nothing about being in a family that precludes getting all your transportation needs from shared use services. The idea is that in the coming years, we will address the remaining concerns over shared transportation.
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I think you are asking for people/families to give up a LOT of autonomy in trade for well....I can't really see a major benefit.
Being able to jump in ones own car whenever you want to go where ever you want, door-to-door, in your own vehicle (
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It is actually possible to own a car, yet use other forms of transportation? I'm unclear why you think this is physically impossible.
And if you really don't own the correct vehicle, it is possible to rent something appropriate for towing a boat trailer or going camping.
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It is actually possible to own a car, yet use other forms of transportation? I'm unclear why you think this is physically impossible.
And if you really don't own the correct vehicle, it is possible to rent something appropriate for towing a boat trailer or going camping.
The article says "Together we want to make car ownership a thing of the past."
For many reasons that isn't going to happen.
Anti-employee wage suppression (Score:4, Interesting)
This is just a part of Uber's overall push to label drivers as contractors. If Uber is a cab service then the drivers are employees, if Uber is a technology platform then drivers are contractors. This is all about wage suppression. The law we enacted to fix the issue has this nice wrok-around for Uber, which seems like bullshit.
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Fair enough. The legislation that passed in California last year, AB5. https://leginfo.legislature.ca... [ca.gov]
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Part of California's AB5 rules requires that "the individual performs work that is outside the usual course of the hiring entity’s business". This is the work-around for Uber. Uber has declared themselves a technology platform and not a cab service - so drivers work outside the usual course of Uber's technology business. This is a ploy to hurt drivers, even if it otherwise is good business for Uber.
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Oh, I really hope they're not. The government doesn't like competition.
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If they are contractors, then they should be allowed to set their own wages. If I own a big Luxury Caddy I should be able to charge more for the customers to get a luxury ride, vs the other driver in a Prius C or Honda Fit. Or that I spend every day to make sure my car is clean and presentable, I should be able to charge more than the guy who has a rundown POS Car.
Sure getting good reviews can increase your volume. But volume isn't everything.
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Not arguing. Uber seems like pure greed to me.
"private car ownership a thing of the past" (Score:1)
Selling shovels instead of digging for gold. (Score:3)
Sounds like they are making the same realization some people did during the gold rush of the late 1800's.
Gold digging is not that profitable, so they want to sell shovels to other gold diggers instead.
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Except that every time Uber tries to "re-invent" itself, it looks more like they're trying to sell gold-plated shovels.
i would put a server in the trunk (Score:1)
Article title is a bit off (Score:1)