Corrupt? Uber vs taxi

  It's time to correct the misinformation from Uber and their lackeys.  Here in the Waterloo Region the Taxi industry is a full partnership of owner/operators.  That means that every taxi on the road has it's own owner.  That owner is a part owner in a existing Taxi company. Not a corporation owning the taxis and a driver paying to drive that taxi.  This way the owner has only one way of making a income.  From that one car.

  How is the taxi industry in the Region of Waterloo corrupt?  We all follow the regulations in the Region. Pay our taxes.  Employ people at our offices, office staff and call takers.  Have drivers to drive our taxis to fulfil requirements that there is taxis on the road 24/7 and 365 days a year.  Do community services by sponsoring groups and teams.  Because we care about our community.  We are part of the community.  We have families and friends in this community.  We put out for our community.  Corrupt?

  Some people have called us dinosaurs.  Really!  The taxi industry keeps updating all the time.  From the days where taxi drivers would have to drive to the call centre to get their next call. To in-car radio dispatch which was considered a huge jump in technology.  From there digital dispatch by radio, to digital dispatch by cellular.  Where gps tracking has been used for well over a decade. Using the latest dispatch software.  In the taxi industry here in the region you can request a taxi in many forms.  Apps, emails, or phone.  It doesn't matter how you request a taxi.  You will get one, and faster.  Not like Uber.  They only have a app.  With no back-up system if something goes wrong.  Like New York City, ring any bell there Uber.

  Uber would have you believe that taxi industry is outdated and not needed.  For centuries hacks (taxi or carriages) were regulated to make sure the public were not taken advantage of.  Uber believes that they are the only ones that can do a better job and cheaper.  Cheaper only when times are slow.  But when things get busy they have surge pricing. 2 to 3 times the regular fare.  If taxis did that years ago we would have been burned at the stake.  Now, people out there think it's perfectly alright to do that because a technology company from San Francisco says it's fair.  How's it fair?  Oh! You can wait until it slows down.  Hmmm.  So you wait or you pay.  Extortion sounds right.  That is one of many reasons why the taxi industry was regulated.  It's easy to take advantage of people in the transportation business.  That's why the government has regulate taxis.  If Uber gets any bigger they will be one that are controlling the industry.  With no oversight at all.  That's a monopoly!

  People call the taxi industry a monopoly.  Here in the region there is 5 companies competing for business.  Yes, the fare is all the same. To protect the customers and be fair to taxi industry.  So, you say Uber does it cheaper.  Yes.  At what cost.  First the safety of customers by allowing people that don't get vetted properly with a proper criminal check. There's more than one type of criminal check in Ontario.  Improper vehicle safety check. Not a walk around visual check but a real MTO (Ministry of Transportation of Ontario) vehicle inspection like the taxi industry has to do every year.  With also inspections from the Region by-law.  Including surprise inspections and company inspections on top of that.  With a paper trail to go with that.  Now the real cost for taxi is the insurance.  It's commercial insurance not personal car insurance with a third party liability insurance.  For the people out there driving for Uber.  You are not covered by your insurance in a collision. In your insurance policy it's state you will not use your car for hire.  Uber's insurance is for liability of your accident.  You will not get a cent from no one.  And most likely will not get insured again.  If not charged with fraud by your insurance company.   Where is the saving?  Here in the region there were two comparisons done.  Uber said that they are 25% cheaper.  The real results showed that they were not and in one case more.

  Uber has made a lot of statements on the taxi industry which are true in some parts of the world. But not here.  We don't drive old, broken down cars.

We don't care about our customers.  In Fact, we care more.  We don't discriminate.  Unlike Uber.

  So who's corrupt?

  We work with our local municipality to improve service for the community.  Not work against it, like Uber.  Which it forces it's will on the government.  Costing the community time and money to insure that people are protected.  Change is good.  With the idea of protecting consumers from over zealot corporation.  Think what would happen if Uber was the only transportation service provider.  It's happening in California.  The taxi industry is disappearing.  Prices will go up!  Corporation only want to increase their profits.  That's why they are willing to lose money to gain market shares.  Pay drivers a guarantee wage.  So, that they can destroy the taxi industry.  Then when the competition is not a threat anymore.  Fares will start to increase.

  That's why the taxi industry is regulated!  

  To protect the consumers!