From Airbnb to Deliveroo, smartphone app-based businesses a becoming more commonplace, especially around the cities of Australia.
Uber is a ridesharing company that has recently expanded its efforts in WA to include the South-West from Margaret River to Bunbury. It previously only serviced Perth.
How would Uber or a similar company go down in Esperance? Would it be popular?
According to a Facebook poll, sample size of around 400 people, 65% of people would be welcome the ridesharing company. The other percentage would prefer sticking with the traditional taxis.
The 35% opposed to Uber on Facebook is a particularly high number, considering the demographic of Facebookers are generally younger and receptive towards newer companies that hook in using app software.
So what are the pros and cons of each?
There is no doubt that Uber is cheaper for consumers. This isn’t the fault of the taxi companies however, with drivers forced to pay exhaustive costs, including taxi plates, licenses and insurances. The State authorities makes a tidy sum from these companies, which ultimately is passed on to the passenger.
Once you order a driver through Uber, you can track their progress picking you up and their route to your destination. Ubers aren’t supposed to ignore your request, although there are some ways around this. Basically though, in general, there is more certainty securing your ride with the ridesharing software.
There may be a moral objection for grabbing an Uber though. Consensus would say that Uber workers are underpaid and certainly undervalued. They are not afforded other work benefits such as superannuation, annual and sick leave etc. It also moves towards a trend that is familiar around the entire Australian workforce, where benefits are thrown out for more casual style work. People pursuing flexibility crave this lifestyle but for long-term stable finances it makes earning a living difficult.
Personally, I would try avoid companies (especially American owned ones) such as Uber entering the Aussie market. Instead, I would update the taxi industry here, make licenses cheaper and improve the quality of trips through technology so passengers make taxis their preference. Then that 35% number would certainly soar!