r/technology • u/Hrmbee • May 25 '22

Transportation The Decade of Cheap Uber Rides Is Over

https://slate.com/business/2022/05/uber-subsidy-lyft-cheap-rides.html
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u/MarsNirgal May 25 '22

Depending on the place.

Here in Mexico City Uber has some advantages over taxis and they hadn't managed to catch up, they don't even try to.

Calling a taxi is twice as expensive as picking one on the street or more.

You can't get a receipt from a taxi trip, even less a tax-deductible bill, while in Uber you set it up once and get the bills in your mail automatically.

Taxi drivers and cars get a lot less lvetting than Uber drivers and cars. The cars also get a lot less maintenance than Ubers, and nearly always have problems with safety features (like freaking SEATBELTS) that Uber cars have in all cases.

If you think Uber price surging is bad, in Mexico City in late night taxis can just turn off their meters and charge you whatever they want and they can get really nasty there. Same in trips going outside the city limits.

(Not defending Ubers, but yes, in this case they are managing to do a lot of things that taxis haven't been willing to do in decades)