Many people assume a rideshare service is the same as or similar to both taxi and limousine services but in essence, its origin is quite different. Rideshare platforms tried to modernize the taxi and passenger driving businesses by making them look less like such things. They also tried bypassing traditional chauffeur standards and hands-on methods of direct fleet management.
The Rideshare idea wouldn’t have had much of a chance at success without having the advantage of “Developers” of modern mobile phone application technology. These developers or software engineers helped investors bypass certain aspects of state law in order to make taxi style transportation more covert and quickly accessible. This same scheme came with great risk and elements of danger for the public at large because it was rapidly employing millions of people around the world. Many of these same people would have never been qualified to drive for a taxi or limousine business. Thousands of crimes have occurred to date at minimum as a result of the rise of poorly controlled ridesharing.
These investors focused on supplying rides for a global market and not just the small service areas of the typical locally owned taxi or limo service operations. Many taxi businesses and nearly all limousine companies require chauffeur training, drug screening, previous driving experience and minimum age requirements. Additionally, certain vehicles are often the preferred model type for the taxi and limousine industry.
Does Rideshare Have Any Common Sense?
The rideshare models lowered driver age requirements and worked around the legal standard of commercial insurance requirements for their drivers. They also didn’t require much previous experience to become a driver. Rideshare services attempted to make us accept how they’re just a technology based software business focused on helping people share rides. It’s safe to assume that’s obviously an absurd notion. It’s likely 85% of the full-time or freelance rideshare drivers aren’t intentionally traveling in the same direction as their paying passengers.
Rideshare chose to expand their reach, and attempt an almost unreal approach. They offered any common individual or any person above a certain age with a specific standard vehicle an opportunity to work with very little oversight (almost independently) or experience in communities worldwide. This sounds like a great thing but we all know that common sense will prevail. When has there ever been such a large group of workers without a manager or supervisor having direct oversight? When an experienced boss or owner isn’t around to check on the business much can go wrong and often does.
Someone with expert knowledge of business operations and customer relationships should keep a close watch on how business is being handled. Having a supervisor provides a sense of security for everyone involved in a transaction. If someone is having a bad day, the supervisor should notice and give a warning or send someone home for the day. This new form of fast employment or gig worker (gig economy) occupation is something pretty much unheard of until now.
Taxis Keeping It Deep Local
Most taxi and limousine companies worked out of a local company garage and had rules for chauffeurs to follow. The dispatchers or management staff would investigate customer complaints and ask chauffeurs questions about unethical behavior. They even had to be drug tested randomly or if anything looked suspicious because safety is a top priority for any responsible business. Rideshare platforms don’t have much of these direct safeguards in place. Almost all rideshare platforms have waivers to be acknowledged or signed by users warning them because of the potential dangers associated with using their platforms. Isn’t that scary enough?
We highly recommend using your local taxi or limo service and we encourage it because we believe it’s better for the community as a whole in the long run. Ann Arbor Fare Ride Taxi & Limo
Service believes in deep rooted locally oriented services. Home is where the heart is and our staff of drivers and managers will always have our heart focused on home. If you wish to know more about rideshare and the problems surrounding this service please read an article provided by the Detroit Free Press about why 2 Ann Arbor drivers filed a lawsuit against Uber, a Rideshare company.
Call Ann Arbor Taxi & Airport Cars @ 734-845-9222
