AndreaPalladio
Senior Member
I don't use uber, since I live downtown. If I want a ride, I put my hand up in the air and a cab stops. That's my app. But I think it's ridiculous to try to keep uber out.
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Taxis and ride-sharing in Toronto
- Thread starter Admiral Beez
- Start date
nfitz
Superstar
But even now, looking at Uber, the cheapest fare from Pearson to downtown is $95-$124 - and that's with competition from taxis. Going slightly off airport property it's still $55-$72 right now.
Uber might be fine when demand is low. But it's a far worse option when demand is high.
Uber might be fine when demand is low. But it's a far worse option when demand is high.
TheTigerMaster
Superstar
The demand fluctuates quite frequently with Uber. I find that if you check every few minutes, you won't have to wait more than 15 minutes for demand to go down to 1x.
Also, if you walk a few minutes away from your current location, you might be able to be picked up in an area with 1x demand.
Also, if you walk a few minutes away from your current location, you might be able to be picked up in an area with 1x demand.
diminutive
Active Member
You can always cherry pick times when Uber's surge pricing kicks in. I just checked within 30mins of your post and was quoted $29-$38 to the airport, which is significantly less than a cab.
Basically, the surge pricing is usually pretty transient and it's rare you'd have no choice but to accept surge pricing. I'm not a huge Uber user, but I've never had to accept surge pricing in Toronto. It seems like lots of the times when Uber surges really kick in, there would be a shortage of cabs anyways or other forms of quasi-shortages (i.e. cabs declining some trips) and I'm not sure if a peak pricing is really any worse than shortages.
(In LA, for whatever reason, there was almost always surge pricing though. At 1.3-1.7x normal it was still usually pretty ok, but I got the sense that the base rates are set too low there)
nfitz
Superstar
But wouldn't the prevalence of surge pricing increase if they taxi industry wasn't sitting there with a large oversupply of capacity and fixed prices?
mdrejhon
Senior Member
Shop around, buddy.
You can also always install multiple ride-hailing apps. Including the taxi company's own. There's also Lyft, who's considering a Toronto launch depending on how dust settles -- they've already sent a lobbyist to Toronto City Hall to scout things out. Uber is not the only game.
Inevitably, the taxi hail app will often not provide available taxis at moments during moments when Uber has surge pricing (e.g. during unexpected transit shutdowns, etc).
You can choose to wait longer for a fixed price ride (taxi), wait a few minutes for transient surge prices to end (Uber, Lyft, etc), take an alternate route (google map it), take the emergency TTC shuttle bus (TTC alert), grab a bikeshare (if in territory), grab a car2go car (if in territory), or just pony up.
All the above now all have apps, and some apps have merged maps that display multiple of above concurrently (e.g. Transit App supports BIXI integration, Uber integration AND car2go integration).
Many transit is providing publicly-available data feeds now.
Uber is, BIXI is, Google is, TTC is...
More third party more apps merge all kinds of transit (carshare, bikeshare, buses, trains, Uber) simultaneously onto the same map -- Transit App is one of them. It simultaneously shows the nearest bus, nearest train, bikeshare bike, car2go carshare car, nearest Uber car!
Telling you multiple options of getting home, on the same map. Hate the Uber surge price? The app's telling you alternatives like a nearby BIXI bike or car2go vehicle (supported in several cities; Toronto now partially supported).
And are you a programmer? Write your own app. Downloads the publicly available transit data and display something great with it. It's being done already today.
So, shop around buddy.
You can also always install multiple ride-hailing apps. Including the taxi company's own. There's also Lyft, who's considering a Toronto launch depending on how dust settles -- they've already sent a lobbyist to Toronto City Hall to scout things out. Uber is not the only game.
Inevitably, the taxi hail app will often not provide available taxis at moments during moments when Uber has surge pricing (e.g. during unexpected transit shutdowns, etc).
You can choose to wait longer for a fixed price ride (taxi), wait a few minutes for transient surge prices to end (Uber, Lyft, etc), take an alternate route (google map it), take the emergency TTC shuttle bus (TTC alert), grab a bikeshare (if in territory), grab a car2go car (if in territory), or just pony up.
All the above now all have apps, and some apps have merged maps that display multiple of above concurrently (e.g. Transit App supports BIXI integration, Uber integration AND car2go integration).
Many transit is providing publicly-available data feeds now.
Uber is, BIXI is, Google is, TTC is...
More third party more apps merge all kinds of transit (carshare, bikeshare, buses, trains, Uber) simultaneously onto the same map -- Transit App is one of them. It simultaneously shows the nearest bus, nearest train, bikeshare bike, car2go carshare car, nearest Uber car!
Telling you multiple options of getting home, on the same map. Hate the Uber surge price? The app's telling you alternatives like a nearby BIXI bike or car2go vehicle (supported in several cities; Toronto now partially supported).
And are you a programmer? Write your own app. Downloads the publicly available transit data and display something great with it. It's being done already today.
So, shop around buddy.
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nfitz
Superstar
Apps ... I'd sooner simply hail one on the street. Why wait? I don't want to have to start clicking on multiple apps every time I want a cab!
Police need to enforce the very clear law. Both against Uber and the lawbreakers that use them. And against those that rent out taxi licences in violation of the Highway Code.
Police need to enforce the very clear law. Both against Uber and the lawbreakers that use them. And against those that rent out taxi licences in violation of the Highway Code.
mdrejhon
Senior Member
If you're next to a busy street, you're lucky.
But, increasingly, you only need one app
Transit App puts TTC, GO, Uber, BIXI (bikeshare), car2go (carshare), buses, trains, all simultaneously onto the same map centered on your GPS location.
Automatically telling you the fastest way home.
Transit App, developed in Canada, is an official TTC app. See bottom-right sidebar at www.ttc.ca
This is the trend of the future. Merged transit apps are arriving.
Related topic: Indirectly, TTC is accidentally encouraging Uber:
1. Click www.ttc.ca
2. scroll down & click "Powered by Transit App" at bottom of left sidebar
3. see Uber graphics in screenshot
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diminutive
Active Member
I can't say that your opinion is wrong, but it does seem like you're out of synch with the majority of people who like app-hailing.
To flip things around, why wait till you're on the street? With apps you can check from anywhere (i.e. in a house during winter) and, in real time, see your vehicle approach. No senseless waiting for a cab to approach.
picard102
Senior Member
You're completely out of touch then. Why wait outside? Why deal with payment? Why get stuck with a shitty driver or car?
mdrejhon
Senior Member
I have only used Uber once in my lifetime, and I was impressed.
Far faster and better than waiting at a corner.
Saved me time.
It was only a button tap.
After tap -- nearest driver immediately homed to my phone GPS signal. Pushbutton hail!
While waiting for the driver to come to me....the app provided useful info to entertain me while waiting:
...It showed a face mugshot of my upcoming Uber driver
...It showed me his past rating (4.5 stars review rating).
...I had a price quote immediately
...I even had the opportunity to cancel/decline if I didn't like the driver or if I wanted to catch something else (e.g. arriving bus or taxi).
...One button press and Uber is cancelled (if I wanted)
Three minutes later after I launched the Uber app -- the Uber driver arrived.
On a residential road.
In the middle of suburbia (near Chestnut Hills, I think)
Away from an arterial.
Only two residential cars passing every minute.
By the time I was inside the Uber car.
My credit card was already charged with the exact price already.
So I could immediately leap out of the Uber car once it stopped at my destination.
No fiddling with payment, when in a rush.
After I exited the Uber car (Mimico GO station)
My app on my phone asked me to tap the screen to rate my Uber driver (I tapped 5 stars).
That said, there are some questionable moves that Uber has done, even though the way the taxi cartels work is even more questionable. Some solution is needed for the 21st century. Even if we ban Uber, please fix the taxi system so we can have beautiful pushbutton taxi and carpool systems with all the above advantages.
Sincerely,
Mark Rejhon
Far faster and better than waiting at a corner.
Saved me time.
It was only a button tap.
After tap -- nearest driver immediately homed to my phone GPS signal. Pushbutton hail!
While waiting for the driver to come to me....the app provided useful info to entertain me while waiting:
...It showed a face mugshot of my upcoming Uber driver
...It showed me his past rating (4.5 stars review rating).
...I had a price quote immediately
...I even had the opportunity to cancel/decline if I didn't like the driver or if I wanted to catch something else (e.g. arriving bus or taxi).
...One button press and Uber is cancelled (if I wanted)
Three minutes later after I launched the Uber app -- the Uber driver arrived.
On a residential road.
In the middle of suburbia (near Chestnut Hills, I think)
Away from an arterial.
Only two residential cars passing every minute.
By the time I was inside the Uber car.
My credit card was already charged with the exact price already.
So I could immediately leap out of the Uber car once it stopped at my destination.
No fiddling with payment, when in a rush.
After I exited the Uber car (Mimico GO station)
My app on my phone asked me to tap the screen to rate my Uber driver (I tapped 5 stars).
That said, there are some questionable moves that Uber has done, even though the way the taxi cartels work is even more questionable. Some solution is needed for the 21st century. Even if we ban Uber, please fix the taxi system so we can have beautiful pushbutton taxi and carpool systems with all the above advantages.
Sincerely,
Mark Rejhon
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spider
Senior Member
How long will it take before the first cab driver who owns his own car signs up with Uber and play both sides of the street rather than sitting on his ass outside a hotel or plaza?
mdrejhon
Senior Member
It's my understanding this has already happened.
See: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/201...ing_hailo_and_uber_toronto_cabbie_claims.html
am29
Active Member
Well I think it's time for you to give up and retire grandpa, clearly the world is moving on without you.
nfitz
Superstar
If the world had moved on without me, there wouldn't be a taxi stand across the street. There's no way that the 30 second walk to the front of it is faster than using uber.
If you want to play with something in your pocket, you are quite welcome to.