[murd0c]

But the catch is we have to re-elect the Liberals again... Fuck me BibleThump

Uber Vancouver: BC government announces support for ride-sharing | Vancouver Sun (http://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/uber-vancouver-bc-government-announces-support-for-ride-sharing)

VICTORIA – B.C.’s Liberal government says it will allow ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft into the province, should the Liberal party win May’s provincial election.

The companies will be allowed to operate in B.C. by December 2017, said Transportation Minister Todd Stone.

Stone and TransLink Minister Peter Fassbender made the announcement in Vancouver on Tuesday, after more than a year of consultation on how to regulate ride sharing without decimating B.C.’s existing taxi industry.

The government will give the taxi industry $1 million to help it develop an app to compete with Uber and ICBC will spend $3.5 million to equip the taxi industry with crash avoidance technology in all taxis, as well as improve the insurance system for ride sharing, announced the government.

Taxi cabs will retain the exclusive rights to be hired by phone, at a taxi stand or flagged down at the curb. “That will be a competitive advantage for them,” said Fassbender.




Taxis will also be allowed to operate anywhere, as government removes the municipal borders on the industry. And the government said it will open up the taxi supply to address the shortage of taxis. “There will be no limitation on taxi licenses,” said Fassbender, who said cities will be allowed to add additional vehicles if they wish.

Uber, Lyft and other similar outfits operate on-demand car services that connect passengers with private drivers, mainly through smartphone apps.

Uber had aggressively lobbied the B.C. government for approval over the past year, arguing it needed a special licensing scheme for its drivers that was separate from traditional taxis. The American-based company hired one of Premier Christy Clark’s top advisors from the 2013 election, and attempted to influence public opinion through an advertising campaign that billed Vancouver as an embarrassment because it was the largest North American city yet to allow ride-sharing services.

But the government worried about how ride-hailing would undercut the existing taxi industry, in which drivers have often invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into the limited supply of taxi licenses (investments often backstopped by home and business mortgages) in order to operate under provincial rules.

While private Uber drivers could operate without geographic or price restrictions, the existing taxi industry has been bound by licenses tied to specific municipal borders and fixed pricing set by the province. B.C.’s business community had called on the province to drop those restrictions to let the taxi industry compete with ride sharing.

Some Canadian provinces, such as Ontario and Alberta, already allow Uber and ride sharing services. Ontario recently changed its insurance rules, requiring private Uber drivers to buy extra vehicle insurance that would apply while the driver is on the app and then revert back to the person’s private auto insurance when they are not on the clock.

Though it is arguably the leading ride sharing company, Uber has also been beset with controversy the past few months, including allegations of allowing a sexist culture, surge-pricing during major events like terrorist attacks, and ignoring the municipal bylaws and rules within jurisdictions where it operates.

The New York Times recently reported that the company has been using a software tool, called Greyball, to collect data from its app users since 2014 in order to deceive regulators in markets where the firm is being resisted or has been banned.

According to the Times, Uber used Greyball to identify users of its app who might be involved with regulation or law enforcement. Such users were denied service, while their app was populated with “ghost cars” so Uber drivers could evade being monitored

[Liquid_o2]

So sneaky by the Liberals. I'm sure they will come out with a few more surprises over the next month to try and entice voters to re-elect Christy.

What is the NDP's stance on Uber anyways?

[stewie]

Last attempt to buy votes I'm guessing. Not that it would make a large dent in the outcome, but I'm sure they've just lost all the support from taxi drivers and their families.

[murd0c]

Last attempt to buy votes I'm guessing. Not that it would make a large dent in the outcome, but I'm sure they've just lost all the support from taxi drivers and their families.

I guess that means most of Surrey won't be voting for Crusty Clark :troll:

[G0rilla]

hahaha this is gonna get interesting. Liberals are getting desperate, and funny how everything happens after theyre elected back in

its like we're all getting blackmailed to vote for them

[iPee]

"Though it is arguably the leading ride sharing company, Uber has also been beset with controversy the past few months, including allegations of allowing a sexist culture, surge-pricing during major events like terrorist attacks, and ignoring the municipal bylaws and rules within jurisdictions where it operates."

They couldn't think fo another major event other than a terrorist attack WTF????

[Armind]

inb4 exclusive Uber tax in BC

[Hondaracer]

Liberals are going to get back in regardless.

Cabs in Vancouver are a fucking joke, fuck them.

Can never get a cab when you need one, even in prime spots like water front station etc. insane rates ($60 to Burnaby from downtown??) scammers with their meters etc.

Bring on uber, fuck I may even end up driving for them!

[6o4__boi]

Libs are pretty invincible tbh

It'd take a bunch of incredibly huge fuck ups on their part to screw up this election

[Hondaracer]

The NDP always has incredibly abrasive leaders with little to no charisma, this election is even more evident of this than previously.

Last election was their best shot and they missed the boat

[Bouncing Bettys]

The provincial parties are as appealing as Trump/Clinton.

[PeanutButter]

Do you actually think BC will elect NDP over the Liberals?
Our province is Liberal, like it or not =/

[PeanutButter]

Why don't think just not allow uber and lyft and make the changes to the taxi system?

If they get rid of limited licenses and municipal boundaries, plus makes an app, does't that satisfy everyone?

Won't that increase supply and make it easier to find a cab with a taxi app? And we don't have to ruin these peoples (taxi drivers) lives?

[Manic!]

Uber is dangerous and scary. Just think of all the stuff they could do with all the data they collect.

[Presto]

Uber is spreading themselves really thin. They are losing billions every year. Competition, and a race to the bottom is revealing all the problems that Uber is having.

How much does Uber pay its drivers? As an Uber driver, you are considered a contractor. Insurance, maintenance, fuel, and tolls will need to be covered, and that's just for the vehicle. The driver will also need to factor in other employment expenses like paying income tax and health/medical premiums. I doubt it's going to get much better since Uber is subsidizing the fares.

[Mr.HappySilp]

Uber is dangerous and scary. Just think of all the stuff they could do with all the data they collect.

As if apple, google isn't doing the same. Or any apps that you give permission to allow that to happen.

Haven't voted for the Liberals in ages will do so again this year. Doesn't matter if they win but vote are set.

[Hondaracer]

My buddy who lives in TO says he's asked a few drivers who work "full time" for uber and he said the general answer is 80-100k a year

[Spoon]

80-100k in revenue or profits though? Makes a huge difference if you haven't factored in costs to run things legitimately.

And also, how many hours? I doubt you're rolling that kinda money working 8hrs a day.

[flagella]

There's no way they are making $80-$100k as net profit.

My biggest fucking question is, why the fuck are we paying for the following?

"The government will give the taxi industry $1 million to help it develop an app to compete with Uber and ICBC will spend $3.5 million to equip the taxi industry with crash avoidance technology in all taxis, as well as improve the insurance system for ride sharing, announced the government."

The public will fund the fucking incompetency of the taxi industry for failure to innovate and compete? Fuck right off.

[Razor Ramon HG]

Stay away from driving for Uber. Most people actually make around minimum wage after all expenses when I was researching on Uber and Lyft a while back.

It might work if you do a part-time gig on Friday and Saturday night downtown, but that's about it. Vancouver is too sparse to make consistent income driving.

I know there's a Chinese one that mainlanders use. Friend showed it to me on Wechat. Apparently it's a bunch of dudes driving around in BMWs and Ferraris that try to pick up female passengers :lol

[Hondaracer]

80-100 before everything else I'm sure.

There already is that stupid fucking taxi app that doesn't work worth shit. So now paying private entities to develop an app for cab companies cause they are butt hurt and in gregors pockets? Ffs..

[GLOW]

I know there's a Chinese one that mainlanders use. Friend showed it to me on Wechat. Apparently it's a bunch of dudes driving around in BMWs and Ferraris that try to pick up female passengers :lol

reminds me of these types of articles i recently read about uber's troubles of guys preying on girls

Toronto Uber driver charged with sex assault | Toronto & GTA | News | Toronto Su (http://www.torontosun.com/2017/02/14/toronto-uber-driver-charged-with-sex-assault)

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/03/02/halifax-cabbie-found-not-guilty-of-sexually-assaulting-woman-who-was-drunk.html

[Ch28]

I guess that means most of Surrey won't be voting for Crusty Clark :troll:

http://i.imgur.com/Po3wcH4.gif

[Traum]

My biggest fucking question is, why the fuck are we paying for the following?

"The government will give the taxi industry $1 million to help it develop an app to compete with Uber and ICBC will spend $3.5 million to equip the taxi industry with crash avoidance technology in all taxis, as well as improve the insurance system for ride sharing, announced the government."

The public will fund the fucking incompetency of the taxi industry for failure to innovate and compete? Fuck right off.
The public is paying the outdated taxi industry because that's the only way the government can get buy-in from them as a lobby group. Think of it as a bribe to shut them up. Similar tactics has always been used in government negotiations in the past, and will continue to be used in the future when the government wants to get something done. A "recent" example that I can think of was how Drunk Driving Campbell dangled a huge signing bonus for the various public unions' CBA prior to the 2010 Olympics.

What I don't understand is, how can the Liberals consider this to be an effective vote-buying strategy? Even with the $3.5M carrot dangling in front of the taxi industry, I bet a lot of taxi drivers are still going to reject it simply because they hear Uber will be allowed to operate. On the other hand, the move can easily be countered by the NDP by simply coming out to say that they will also approve Uber / Lyft to operate in BC if they win the election.

Politically, I certainly consider myself closer to the Liberals on the political spectrum. But these suckers have long overstayed their welcome in the office, so I am going to try everything I can to get them thrown out in May.

[Ch28]

Politically, I certainly consider myself closer to the Liberals on the political spectrum. But these suckers have long overstayed their welcome in the office, so I am going to try everything I can to get them thrown out in May.

Yup, I've always considered myself to be more on the Liberal side of things than NDP, but the Libs have become too lazy and complacent. The fact that they've been in power for so long has gotten to them and they think they're invincible.

[Manic!]

Here is the Uber ceo with 2 random girls arguing with a Uber driver. Skip to 3:55 for argument.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTEDYCkNqns

and

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgQPj90OrQE&t=4s

Also it's only a matter of time before uber replaces it's drivers with self driving cars.

[PeanutButter]

My buddy who lives in TO says he's asked a few drivers who work "full time" for uber and he said the general answer is 80-100k a year

From what I have seen online, it's about $15-20 an hour.
Just google, how much does an uber driver make.

[Hondaracer]

Why even do it for $15-$20 an hour..

In Portland there were plenty of younger drivers driving 50k+ cars with both Lyft and Uber stickers on them, presumablely working it as a full time job

15 an hour wouldn't make up for the maintanance/depreciation of a half decent car

[Ch28]

Why even do it for $15-$20 an hour

People do it because it's an easy job and humans are inherently lazy.

[Hehe]

Whatever you are reading, the person hasn't taken depreciation into account.

To make the matter worse, Uber doesn't just allow any car to be on their system. So you can't go and drive a $800 beater and expect to work for Uber.

The only way to the system to work is for Uber to take less of a cut or be in countries where human labor costs next to nothing.

didi, the uber-equivalent (actually Uber China just merged with them) in China works in China because for the regular service, they have little limitation. So anyone with a cheapo car... say equivalent of Honda Fit, Nissan Micra can go (usually you get Chinese brand cars) and people can make a living of it because as long as they can make something like 500usd a month, they are good.

For high-wage economies like US/CA/EU, it doesn't make much sense.

[Ch28]

I used Uber a few times when I was in Toronto and I loved it. There was a taxi stand outside my hotel (downtown Hyatt) and I asked them how much it was to drive me 15 minutes north to the Yonge/Wellesley are (45 min walk) and the price they quoted was about 3x the price of an Uber.

I told him that I'll just Uber for a 1/3 of the cost and he started getting all pissed about how Uber is stealing their business. I told him that it wasn't my problem and the only thing I care about is getting there for the least amount of money. Uber was there in 5 minutes and asked if I was cool with listening to EDM on the drive there. Had some small talk about how different Vancouver and Toronto are and it was just an overall pleasant ride.

[Ch28]

didi, the uber-equivalent (actually Uber China just merged with them) in China works in China because for the regular service, they have little limitation. So anyone with a cheapo car... say equivalent of Honda Fit, Nissan Micra can go (usually you get Chinese brand cars) and people can make a living of it because as long as they can make something like 500usd a month, they are good.


http://i.imgur.com/4gEVZZi.gif

[noclue]

Uber will pay drivers really good when they first start in a city then go downhill from there. So if you are interested, sign up early!

[dark0821]

^ I can see it smth like Pokemon Go... all hype for the first month... and then... yea..

[Bouncing Bettys]

Combine an Uber job with Twitch streaming. If the boobie streamers could drive, they'd make a killing.

[Hondaracer]

Don't really care about uber stealing info, drivers getting paid peanuts, etc etc

If I can get a ride from downtown at 11-2am I'll be happy

[Mr.HappySilp]

Stay away from driving for Uber. Most people actually make around minimum wage after all expenses when I was researching on Uber and Lyft a while back.

It might work if you do a part-time gig on Friday and Saturday night downtown, but that's about it. Vancouver is too sparse to make consistent income driving.

I know there's a Chinese one that mainlanders use. Friend showed it to me on Wechat. Apparently it's a bunch of dudes driving around in BMWs and Ferraris that try to pick up female passengers :lol

I use them all the time when I am in China (another app not wechat) Is actually better than taxi in China since most of the time taxi don't really stop for you while these drivers will.

I think a large number of drivers in China uses them. Since if you call then using the app and they are neraby and is going to where you are going why not make some money. With China there are tons of ppl driving so the chances of them going to the same/nearby places where you are going is high.

[Razor Ramon HG]

I use them all the time when I am in China (another app not wechat) Is actually better than taxi in China since most of the time taxi don't really stop for you while these drivers will.

I think a large number of drivers in China uses them. Since if you call then using the app and they are neraby and is going to where you are going why not make some money. With China there are tons of ppl driving so the chances of them going to the same/nearby places where you are going is high.

Oops, I meant a Chinese version of uber in Vancouver that mainlanders use.

It's Kabu something. Wechat based. Then there's another one that even has it's own app. Something with a 0 in it.

[DGN23]

I don't understand why cities and their taxi drivers are so against Uber. I mean there is generally more than one cab company in a city. Isn't Uber essentially just another one doing the same thing in a slightly different way? Maybe I don't know enough about it but it seems to me that its like a city has shoe stores that only sell Addidas and now someone wants to open a store and sell Nike and the Addidas stores are up in arms because now there is more variety and they might lose some sales to the Nike store.

[flagella]

I think the issue is that these taxi drivers paid significant amount of money to obtain taxi license. Quick Google yielded $800k. So their logic is, "we followed the rules, but now all these people are coming in and driving people around without having to go through obtaining license."

This whole system should've never existed. And now it's going to be painful unwinding it because these poor bastards made such terrible investment in an industry that's becoming obsolete.

[Spoon]

NYC yellow cab medallion prices falling further - Business Insider (http://www.businessinsider.com/nyc-yellow-cab-medallion-prices-falling-further-2016-10)

Early this month, a medallion — basically the right to operate a yellow cab in New York — was listed for $250,000 on nycitycab.com.

That's a stark contrast from 2014, when the value of a medallion was listed around $1.3 million.

Cabbies are going to take a hit in their net worth. These taxi licenses used to be guaranteed investments because of their exclusivity.

[DGN23]

So for Joe cabbie to be able to legally drive around his yellow Crown Vic and be paid by the public to ferry them around he has to put up $250,000? That can't be right. Surely if you apply for a new one yourself it's substantially less. Otherwise that has to be the worst investment in the history of the world.

Having said that I can see why they would be upset about Uber just being able to have people register as drivers and start doing the same thing. I would agree that there should be an annual fee or something to operate.

But public transport is retarded anyways. As other have already said; never around when you need it. The fact that the fuckin skytrain isn't 24hrs blows my god damn mind.

[MrPhreak]

I don't understand why cities and their taxi drivers are so against Uber. I mean there is generally more than one cab company in a city. Isn't Uber essentially just another one doing the same thing in a slightly different way? Maybe I don't know enough about it but it seems to me that its like a city has shoe stores that only sell Addidas and now someone wants to open a store and sell Nike and the Addidas stores are up in arms because now there is more variety and they might lose some sales to the Nike store.

They are against it because the owners cultivated a monopoly with the city so they can charge higher rates with no competition. They further drive up the price by restricting supply, which is why you can never get a cab. Once competition gets introduced, the rates fall to what they are actually worth.

Think of it like this... if Addidas setup shop in Vancouver and the city made a rule that they are the only shoe company allowed, and nobody is permitted to wear other shoes. With a monopoly in place, they can charge thousands of dollars for shoes, and if you want a pair, well you have to pay up. By the way, even though Addidas can make enough shoes, they purposely ensure there are not enough shoes for everybody, so you need to really pay up for them! The city of course does their part by taking a huge cut of those massive profits that for the exclusive protection.

It is basically a legitimized version of bribing the city for exclusive favours and protection from competition... about time it started to crumble

[$_$]

So for Joe cabbie to be able to legally drive around his yellow Crown Vic and be paid by the public to ferry them around he has to put up $250,000? That can't be right. Surely if you apply for a new one yourself it's substantially less. Otherwise that has to be the worst investment in the history of the world.

Having said that I can see why they would be upset about Uber just being able to have people register as drivers and start doing the same thing. I would agree that there should be an annual fee or something to operate.

But public transport is retarded anyways. As other have already said; never around when you need it. The fact that the fuckin skytrain isn't 24hrs blows my god damn mind.

To this point though, I've never been to a major city where the subway was 24 hrs

[N.V.M.]

Nothing would make me happier than put these shitty cab companies out of business. Fuck them all. I can't even begin to count the times we've declined going to an event (drinking involved) because we know its almost impossible to get home. Its also an 80% chance you have to tell the driver how to get to where you're going because they just got here. And then they have attitude to boot. Fuck them.

[meme405]

So for Joe cabbie to be able to legally drive around his yellow Crown Vic and be paid by the public to ferry them around he has to put up $250,000? That can't be right. Surely if you apply for a new one yourself it's substantially less. Otherwise that has to be the worst investment in the history of the world.

That's pretty much exactly how it worked. Except for many years in NY the price wasn't 250k it was 1mil for a medallion.

The reason the prices for medallions in NYC went so high was because there was only so many available to the companies.

It's a similar situation here in vancouver, the province restricted the amount of cabs allowed to operate. This was the case until yesterday's brief, where they have now said they will change that and allow companies to operate as many as they like. Which is what makes the most sense, let the company determine what the market will bear.

[Stormspirit]

i researched some uber, but ya, first month = lots of $ to be made, then its going to slowly die down, so the smart money is in the first 2 months and you just get out of it right after because so many uber drivers coming in to make the quick buck , supply & demand ppl

[iwantaskyline]

Unless you're an Uber driver in popular destination cities like Orlando there is no way you're going to make even close to 50K a year. Hyundai in the states had some leasing deal with Uber if I remember correctly...majority of Ubers I took were in Hyundais at least around Orlando.

Unfortunate the NDP fell right into the Liberals trap...looks like they're against Uber at this point which is going to turn away a lot of young voters.

[doritos]

.

[N.V.M.]

Unless you're an Uber driver in popular destination cities like Orlando there is no way you're going to make even close to 50K a year. Hyundai in the states had some leasing deal with Uber if I remember correctly...majority of Ubers I took were in Hyundais at least around Orlando.

Unfortunate the NDP fell right into the Liberals trap...looks like they're against Uber at this point which is going to turn away a lot of young voters.


awwwww, poor NDP. :awwyeah:

[Vansterdam]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcyFJLrBVhA

[MarkyMark]

The NDP is so fucking stupid that even if you want to vote for them they make it harder for you to pull the trigger. It's no wonder the Liberals always win, the NDP will fall for every little trap hook, line, and sinker.

[Teriyaki]

Omg what a complete facepalm move by the NDP. Are they seriously this stupid? A simple "we will look at all options" would have kept them neutral. Coming flat out saying they reject it? Holy that's political suicide.

[hud 91gt]

Mmm carrots.

[6o4__boi]

lmfao
aaaaaand the NDP already fucked themselves in this election

that didn't take long

[iwantaskyline]

Omg what a complete facepalm move by the NDP. Are they seriously this stupid? A simple "we will look at all options" would have kept them neutral. Coming flat out saying they reject it? Holy that's political suicide.

What they said was they will consider all options and come to a fair decision but will have NO concrete plan before the election...which is basically nothing lol. They're so incompetent!

Even if they're 100% against Uber they could just lie and say we're leaning towards Uber since it's the future. Instead they do exactly what the Liberals were aiming for...Refusing to let Uber in is like Trump saying he will bring back "clean" coal for energy.

[G0rilla]

Mike Smyth: Liberals set their Uber trap, NDP stumbles right in | The Province (http://theprovince.com/opinion/columnists/mike-smyth-liberals-set-their-uber-trap-ndp-stumbles-right-in)

[Armind]

GG NDP, make Uber happen. I don't give a fuck about the cab industry or traffic.

When it's 2am, I just wanna get home.

[Ch28]

Mike Smyth: Liberals set their Uber trap, NDP stumbles right in | The Province (http://theprovince.com/opinion/columnists/mike-smyth-liberals-set-their-uber-trap-ndp-stumbles-right-in)

If there was ever a gif to sum up my reaction to the NDP it'd be this

http://i.imgur.com/8bXQHqm.gif

[flagella]

How stupid and detached from reality do you have to be to fall into such trap. There could be so many ways to spin it. I mean, fuck... Politicians aren't exactly technical. If you don't even have the brain to spin well, then just gtfo.

[godwin]

Remember the "scandal" in the 90s where Moe Sihota was forced to resign to due Herb Dhaliwal 's limo company. It is indicative where NDP's power base lies. They won't be happy with Uber here. It is not a trap if NDP members don't like it, the party has to say no.

Though I find it funny timing with the announcement with so much negative press with Uber in the States the last month!

The NDP is so fucking stupid that even if you want to vote for them they make it harder for you to pull the trigger. It's no wonder the Liberals always win, the NDP will fall for every little trap hook, line, and sinker.

[Ch28]

I don't think much of the negative press with Uber will stop people from using them. From my limited experience of taking it in Toronto, it's still a hell of a lot better than taking any sort of cab. It's convenient, it's cheap, and it's easy to book. It beats taxis in every way possible when it comes down to end user experience.

[Jmac]

Remember the "scandal" in the 90s where Moe Sihota was forced to resign to due Herb Dhaliwal 's limo company. It is indicative where NDP's power base lies. They won't be happy with Uber here. It is not a trap if NDP members don't like it, the party has to say no.

Though I find it funny timing with the announcement with so much negative press with Uber in the States the last month!
We're talking 20 years ago there and the Liberal party hasn't exactly had a sparkling record when it comes to abusing their power to reward friends and donors.

This province needs a legit 3rd party. I want the Liberals out because they're barely trying to hide their corruption anymore but at the same time, Horgan pisses me off the same way douchebag Mulclair did in the Federal election.

[JesseBlue]

i wish the NDP will say FcUk to Uber and that they'll bring Grab to BC...haha

[Hondaracer]

What they said was they will consider all options and come to a fair decision but will have NO concrete plan before the election...which is basically nothing lol. They're so incompetent

That's how they seemingly approach all policy not just uber.

[MrPhreak]

Remember the "scandal" in the 90s where Moe Sihota was forced to resign to due Herb Dhaliwal 's limo company. It is indicative where NDP's power base lies. They won't be happy with Uber here. It is not a trap if NDP members don't like it, the party has to say no.


To be fair, anybody who actually remembers the NDP from the 90's won't be voting for them

[Gerbs]

insane rates ($60 to Burnaby from downtown??) scammers with their meters etc. !

Is this actually a thing? Thought it was just Asia

[DGN23]

To be fair, anybody who actually remembers the NDP from the 90's won't be voting for them

Anybody who knows anything about that party wouldn't vote for them. They're the rejects of the political swamp. They get voted in once because people get all bent out of shape over their current liberal or conservative party and then they all go "oh shit, we done fucked up" and they get voted out. Case and point; Alberta.

[godwin]

No, people outside the party won't remember, but the two families involved still have big influence in the NDP party; hence the party's stance against Uber. Again, a political party won't vote against the interest of their own members. It is not a trap, it is a fact of life.

To be fair, anybody who actually remembers the NDP from the 90's won't be voting for them

[Jmac]

Anybody who knows anything about that party wouldn't vote for them. They're the rejects of the political swamp. They get voted in once because people get all bent out of shape over their current liberal or conservative party and then they all go "oh shit, we done fucked up" and they get voted out. Case and point; Alberta.
What's going on in Alberta would've happened regardless of who was in power.

[Hondaracer]

Is this actually a thing? Thought it was just Asia

ive had more than a few rides where the guy forgets to turn it on, therefor charging basically whatever from the point you notice

or people who ask you if you want to restart the meter after dropping someone off, which is always the wrong decision but they make it sound like the right one

or taking routes which are longer/more lights to get more out of the trip.

etc. etc.

[Ludepower]

No fun city. Who would wanna go out when skytrains stops a 1am and people running around on the streets fighting for a cab.
Driverless cars are coming making this profession obsolete. Stop whinning. Get with the times and adapt.

[godwin]

You do know that's pretty much the standard right? Even the vaulted HK MTR stops at 1AM (they do start much earlier at 5AM).. So I would say opening until 1AM for our population density is already pretty good.

https://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/hongkong/transportation/metro-tsuenwan-line.htm

No fun city. Who would wanna go out when skytrains stops a 1am

[flagella]

Ya lol. I don't see any issues with skytrain operating hours, especially considering our density. Even trains in Japan don't operate 24/7.

The taxi industry though, needs an overhaul.

[FerrariEnzo]

I wonder what the pay scale will be... if not too crappy... getting a old/used honda would be worthwhile...

[dark0821]

I wonder what the pay scale will be... if not too crappy... getting a old/used honda would be worthwhile...

you will be working a long long long time to get that car to pay for it self... even if they allowed for like a 5-6K beater?

[ae101]

Not sure how this would work in Vancouver, but i have friends that are uber/didi drivers here in china

Anyone can be a driver, but u need to have a full license (something kinda like that)

Your car needs to be less then 5 years old and must pass inspection

There is also regulations on how your car needs to be setup, dont bother if u have a modded car (some ppl have 2 cars, the uber car they bought are from another city as u can tell by plates)

Insurance, not too sure on that thought besides the base insurance u buy (might have to buy extras)

Yes u do make a bit of money out this but its not something that make u ballen, as my friends are just average rich guys (mid-class ppl with of money cuz government pays them for their land)

They told me about it over small talk, but im not too sure

Skytrain, 1am..........bitch please thats a luxury for me, Guangzhou last train for metro is 11:30pm for line 1 and the rest of the other lines last yrain is before that

[Teriyaki]

Yea. I'm pretty sure the car has to be relatively new as all the users I've taken around the world are always in new cars.
I only ever take UberX. Pleasantly surprised to find myself in a BMW in Taipei. Usually they're Camry's, especially in NYC.

[Mr.HappySilp]

Not sure how this would work in Vancouver, but i have friends that are uber/didi drivers here in china

Anyone can be a driver, but u need to have a full license (something kinda like that)

Your car needs to be less then 5 years old and must pass inspection

There is also regulations on how your car needs to be setup, dont bother if u have a modded car (some ppl have 2 cars, the uber car they bought are from another city as u can tell by plates)

Insurance, not too sure on that thought besides the base insurance u buy (might have to buy extras)

Yes u do make a bit of money out this but its not something that make u ballen, as my friends are just average rich guys (mid-class ppl with of money cuz government pays them for their land)

They told me about it over small talk, but im not too sure

Skytrain, 1am..........bitch please thats a luxury for me, Guangzhou last train for metro is 11:30pm for line 1 and the rest of the other lines last yrain is before that

I had some small talks with didi drivers while in Beijing. A lot of them don't do it for full time. Is more like part time thing. Basically is more of a pick up service there. In the app it tracks where you (client are) and you type in where you want to go. Then drivers who have the app and happen to be nearby gets an alert. They then see where you want to go. If it is near where they want to go or they are willing to drive you there, then they accept it.

So that's why some places is easier./faster to get a driver while other times it takes longer since not many driver might want to go where you want to go. Also you pay through WeChat. They send the bill to you through WeChat and you just pay there. Most of the cars I been in is pretty new (no BMW or luxury cars but new enough).

Oddly enough most didi drivers I meet are mostly male in their mid to late 30's. Haven't seen any female drivers yet. They all seem pretty nice.

[CP.AR]

many Uber drivers don't do it full time in HK either. One of the drivers even admitted to driving Uber for the sake of driving his car.

[Digitalis]

Long as you guys realize uber is an advocate of getting humans out of driving cars period. Not a Ethical model I will be supporting.

[corollagtSr5]

2007 4 door clean title is the vehicle requirements.

[iPee]

I remember taking uber in cali when it first came out, and the rules were more relaxed. I recall being picked up in a beater with non-working seatbelts.

[Dragon-88]

Finally I can use my Corolla for its intended purpose of being built..

[Verdasco]

people were making $15 driving an uber in las vegas

so i dont know why anyone would do this and support uber, they are cash grabbing fucks, worst than taxi business imo

they are crooks that are known to scam their drivers over and over again



taxi is corrupt here and I wish they changed enough but they didn't, I still think uber is worst than taxis, atleast taxis pay more to their drivers.

[Traum]

people were making $15 driving an uber in las vegas

so i dont know why anyone would do this and support uber, they are cash grabbing fucks, worst than taxi business imo

they are crooks that are known to scam their drivers over and over again

taxi is corrupt here and I wish they changed enough but they didn't, I still think uber is worst than taxis, atleast taxis pay more to their drivers.
Verdasco, I find this perspective to be quite odd. After all, Uber is not holding a gun to their drivers' heads and forcing them to drive for the company. Every Uber driver gets into the business by their own free will, and they are totally free to quit any time they want, or work as much or as little as they want. Rationally, if Uber drivers are motivated to drive Uber by the amount of money they can make from Uber, they would naturally stop driving Uber when the revenues no longer justifies the costs.

From a consumer's perspective, Uber is usually far superior to taxi in multiple ways. When no foul play is involved, it is not the consumer's business to be concerned of what the operating costs are.

[tiger_handheld]

Long as you guys realize uber is an advocate of getting humans out of driving cars period. Not a Ethical model I will be supporting.

why don't you support driverless automobiles?

[iwantaskyline]

^His occupation likely revolves around driving. It's like the dimwits who work in the oil industry denying global warming.

[Hondaracer]

On Saturday it was 45 minutes to get a cab from Hastings/Nanaimo to downtown at 12:35 pm..

Fucking cabs

[The_AK]

Signed up, we'll see what they say about my car being a 2006 model (apparently car can be no older than 10 years)

[Jmac]

why don't you support driverless automobiles?
Increasing number of people on the planet, potential for decreasing number of jobs due to advancements in automation.

It doesn't really impact too many people at this point, but the day is definitely coming where, if allowed, it'll have an impact on a substantial number of people. Thus why you see people like Bill Gates saying that robots need to be taxed to provide money for social programs, etc.

[Verdasco]

i really love the uber concept and I JUST HOPE.... it pays well when it arrives to vancouver



if my scion FRS can get accepted i would do it for the :lawl: and zoom zoom


no zoom zoom cause 200hp :okay:

[Traum]

Increasing number of people on the planet, potential for decreasing number of jobs due to advancements in automation.

It doesn't really impact too many people at this point, but the day is definitely coming where, if allowed, it'll have an impact on a substantial number of people. Thus why you see people like Bill Gates saying that robots need to be taxed to provide money for social programs, etc.
If that's your reasoning, you realize you're basically saying you're anti-technology advancement, right? And if past human history is any indication, having technology to supplement and/or replace human labour has basically been happening since the beginning of time. Esp after the industrial revolution, the past of automation replacing human labour has been happening faster than ever.

Supposedly, the human capital that gets freed up as a result of the automation should be directed to expend their talents elsewhere, thereby creating more productivity. In reality, of course we know that re-training someone can range from difficult to down right impossible. I don't have any

What I am saying is, there is no use in trying to resist the tide. If you do, you're just gonna get left behind.

As far as autonomous vehicles replacing human drivers, I am not too convinced that it'll happen any time "soon". And by "soon", I am guessing a 10 - 15 year time frame, or maybe even longer. My primary reasoning for this is, the vehicles we see and use today are, by and large, not at all autonomous, and cannot be retrofitted (at a reasonably cost) to be autonomous. In fact, I don't see this changing too much in the next 3 - 5 years. With a typical service life of 10 - 15 years, the majority of today's cars are still gonna be around then. And because human drivers are too dumb and unpredictable, they don't play well with autonomous vehicles, and that'll delay the widespread acceptance / implementation of autonomous vehicles.

[Jmac]

If that's your reasoning, you realize you're basically saying you're anti-technology advancement, right? And if past human history is any indication, having technology to supplement and/or replace human labour has basically been happening since the beginning of time. Esp after the industrial revolution, the past of automation replacing human labour has been happening faster than ever.

Supposedly, the human capital that gets freed up as a result of the automation should be directed to expend their talents elsewhere, thereby creating more productivity. In reality, of course we know that re-training someone can range from difficult to down right impossible. I don't have any

What I am saying is, there is no use in trying to resist the tide. If you do, you're just gonna get left behind.

As far as autonomous vehicles replacing human drivers, I am not too convinced that it'll happen any time "soon". And by "soon", I am guessing a 10 - 15 year time frame, or maybe even longer. My primary reasoning for this is, the vehicles we see and use today are, by and large, not at all autonomous, and cannot be retrofitted (at a reasonably cost) to be autonomous. In fact, I don't see this changing too much in the next 3 - 5 years. With a typical service life of 10 - 15 years, the majority of today's cars are still gonna be around then. And because human drivers are too dumb and unpredictable, they don't play well with autonomous vehicles, and that'll delay the widespread acceptance / implementation of autonomous vehicles.
First, that's not my reasoning, that's the reasoning of many experts (like Gates). And I was guessing at Digitalis' reasoning of it being unethical (in his words). They also say, yes, it'll allow people to use their talents for more creative and intelligent endeavours (which is good) and retraining will be necessary, but the first jobs that are going to go are the lower-end jobs (restaurants replacing staff, taxis replaced by autonomous vehicles, etc.). The vast majority of those people will be young people (who will hopefully get a free or, at least, heavily-subsidized education so they can contribute to said endeavours) and the less-capable (who will need a social safety net).

I'm not resistant at all, I'm 6 months into another round of training in automation. But that doesn't mean I'm blind to the obvious.

[ssjGoku69]

The public will fund the fucking incompetency of the taxi industry for failure to innovate and compete? Fuck right off.


Hmmm I think the blame lands on the city more so than the taxi companies.


The root cause for the taxi industry's failures (price,inefficiencies) lies on the municipal governments for artificially limiting taxi licenses; a barrier to entry for new taxi companies. New companies would need to pay ~$800k per taxi car to play the taxi game i think. Existing taxi companies would have an incentive to charge you drybuttentry prices to recover their $800k cost. If the city suddenly just abandoned the taxi licences and allowed Uber, then the value of the taxi licences become worthless overnight. The taxi owners finds this to be an unfair move by the city which is why the city is offering all this help.

[Manic!]

Anyone looking to drive for uber should look up the strategies drivers use to make the most money. There are ways you can game the system to make the most money. It's going to suck if towards the end of your shift you have to drive someone from Vancouver to Langley and then have to drive all the way back and not be paid for the return trip.

[ae101]

This is why ppl have fuel efficient cars and the driver chooses to the drive or not lol

[SkinnyPupp]

First, that's not my reasoning, that's the reasoning of many experts (like Gates). And I was guessing at Digitalis' reasoning of it being unethical (in his words). They also say, yes, it'll allow people to use their talents for more creative and intelligent endeavours (which is good) and retraining will be necessary, but the first jobs that are going to go are the lower-end jobs (restaurants replacing staff, taxis replaced by autonomous vehicles, etc.). The vast majority of those people will be young people (who will hopefully get a free or, at least, heavily-subsidized education so they can contribute to said endeavours) and the less-capable (who will need a social safety net).

I'm not resistant at all, I'm 6 months into another round of training in automation. But that doesn't mean I'm blind to the obvious.
Automation is coming, and a solution to the jobs problem will come with it. Most likely in the form of basic income for everyone, possibly subsidised by the very fact that the automation exists (because it will probably be orders of magnitude more efficient and money making than having to pay staff)

Technological advancement is pretty much the only thing that defines humans as we are. We just keep pushing forward more and more, finding solutions to whatever problems arise, and keep going from there.

[Mr.HappySilp]

https://youtu.be/1jH-8mybdMg

[The_Situation]

people were making $15 driving an uber in las vegas

so i dont know why anyone would do this and support uber, they are cash grabbing fucks, worst than taxi business imo

they are crooks that are known to scam their drivers over and over again



taxi is corrupt here and I wish they changed enough but they didn't, I still think uber is worst than taxis, atleast taxis pay more to their drivers.

I don't give a shit about the drivers. Just get me home from Venue friday night without making me take out a second mortgage

[Liquid_o2]

The only reason that Uber is using drivers right now is that they are perfecting their autonomous vehicle strategy. One part of that is that Uber is creating HUGE data sets of where people are being picked up, dropped off, and the optimal routes to take. This will be used by the company when they begin to release autonomous vehicles.

The idiots who are driving for Uber are basically giving Uber all the data so that within 5 to 10 years, they are replaced.

[underscore]

Uber is dangerous and scary. Just think of all the stuff they could do with all the data they collect.

It's not just the data they collect, weren't there reports that they were tracking users at all times? And when they were being investigated in Quebec they remoted into the servers and started deleting data.

[subordinate]

The only reason that Uber is using drivers right now is that they are perfecting their autonomous vehicle strategy. One part of that is that Uber is creating HUGE data sets of where people are being picked up, dropped off, and the optimal routes to take. This will be used by the company when they begin to release autonomous vehicles.

The idiots who are driving for Uber are basically giving Uber all the data so that within 5 to 10 years, they are replaced.

You could say that about most things man.

[Hondaracer]

The only reason that Uber is using drivers right now is that they are perfecting their autonomous vehicle strategy. One part of that is that Uber is creating HUGE data sets of where people are being picked up, dropped off, and the optimal routes to take. This will be used by the company when they begin to release autonomous vehicles.

The idiots who are driving for Uber are basically giving Uber all the data so that within 5 to 10 years, they are replaced.

And?

[SkinnyPupp]

The only reason that Uber is using drivers right now is that they are perfecting their autonomous vehicle strategy. One part of that is that Uber is creating HUGE data sets of where people are being picked up, dropped off, and the optimal routes to take. This will be used by the company when they begin to release autonomous vehicles.

The idiots who are driving for Uber are basically giving Uber all the data so that within 5 to 10 years, they are replaced.
The "idiots" are getting paid for their time, like any other job, and I'm pretty sure none of them are trying to make a career out of being an uber driver.

[Manic!]

The "idiots" are getting paid for their time, like any other job, and I'm pretty sure none of them are trying to make a career out of being an uber driver.

Actually many people are.

Here is a list of cars required for Uber black.

Uber BLACK Car List example

When requesting an UberBLACK, you can expect a pickup from a car similar to the ones below.

BMW 5-Series & 7-Series
Mercedes S/G/GL/GLA/GLC-Class+
Volvo XC90
Infiniti Q70
Lexus LS460
Audi A6/A7/A8
Hyundai Genesis
Jaguar XF/XJ
Range Rover
Porsche Cayenne & Macan
Rolls-Royce Phantom & Ghost
Cadillac Escalade
Volvo S80

You think if you could afford a car like that without Uber you would be driving with Uber.

Also Uber is taking jobs away from Taxi drivers who actually drive for a living.

[Traum]

Also Uber is taking jobs away from Taxi drivers who actually drive for a living.
This is an argument I've heard quite a few times before, and I always find it quite amusing. Assuming that Uber is taking jobs away from taxi drivers who drive taxis for a living, why is that such a bad thing?

1) There is nothing stopping taxi drivers from becoming Uber drivers.

2) If Uber as a business is taking customers away from the taxi industry, it is because Uber is ultimately providing a superior service. Competition is what brings the best out of a product / service.

3) To compensate for the taxi industry's losses, the provincial government is already planning to provide them with monetary assistance to help them improve their service. IMO, that is already a very generous offer to help them. In other lines of business, if a service or a product becomes obsolete, it seems unlikely / unreasonable to me that the government will provide financial assistance to keep propping them up, because that is a poor use of tax dollars. Essentially, the government financial assistance is bribe money to buy them out / shut them up. If the taxi industry doesn't want to take it, it will be their own loss.

Again, it makes no sense to try and resist the tides of change because those who do so will only end up at the losing end, or they end up hurting themselves.

[Manic!]

This is an argument I've heard quite a few times before, and I always find it quite amusing. Assuming that Uber is taking jobs away from taxi drivers who drive taxis for a living, why is that such a bad thing?

1) There is nothing stopping taxi drivers from becoming Uber drivers.

2) If Uber as a business is taking customers away from the taxi industry, it is because Uber is ultimately providing a superior service. Competition is what brings the best out of a product / service.

3) To compensate for the taxi industry's losses, the provincial government is already planning to provide them with monetary assistance to help them improve their service. IMO, that is already a very generous offer to help them. In other lines of business, if a service or a product becomes obsolete, it seems unlikely / unreasonable to me that the government will provide financial assistance to keep propping them up, because that is a poor use of tax dollars. Essentially, the government financial assistance is bribe money to buy them out / shut them up. If the taxi industry doesn't want to take it, it will be their own loss.

Again, it makes no sense to try and resist the tides of change because those who do so will only end up at the losing end, or they end up hurting themselves.

What makes you think Taxi drivers are not also driving for uber? First doing a shift in there taxi then doing a shift for Uber. Now you have and a uber driver that has been driving for 15 plus hours. You really think that's safe?

If uber drivers and taxi drivers made similar wages there would not be such a problem.

If someone is bring in a $20000 to $40000 or more in equipment to use at work they should be getting paid more than minimum wage. Some are making less than minimum wage in the states.


Good article on pay from a driver: https://www.ridester.com/how-much-do-uber-drivers-make/

[Traum]

What makes you think Taxi drivers are not also driving for uber? First doing a shift in there taxi then doing a shift for Uber. Now you have and a uber driver that has been driving for 15 plus hours. You really think that's safe?
Manic, I don't see the point you are trying to make here. Or rather, I don't see how this example you mentioned is helping you in your argument. Whether someone is an exclusive taxi driver, and exclusive Uber driver, or something in between does not determine how much time they put into work. When I was young, I knew a taxi driver (owner) that did 16 hour stints in his taxi, and rented out his car for the remainder 8 hours. Granted, that was not in Canada. As another example, in a summer job that I did during my university years, I had a coworker that worked 2 jobs, usually leaving her with <6 hrs of rest time per day, and rarely more than a single day's worth of time off during any given month.

If someone wants to work a crazy number of hours, there is nothing that can stop them.


If uber drivers and taxi drivers made similar wages there would not be such a problem.

If someone is bring in a $20000 to $40000 or more in equipment to use at work they should be getting paid more than minimum wage. Some are making less than minimum wage in the states.

I am not familiar with the legal nature of how an Uber driver is defined. But for the most part, I'd think they are either considered self employed business operators or commissioned agents, but not employees. As such, the way they work is not governed by minimum wage laws. And guess what when someone does this kind of work? They may or may not make money. This is otherwise known as business risk. If they can't accept the business risk, they stop being Uber drivers. If they realize they are not making enough money to worth their while, they quit! This is how business and the labour market works!

The fact of the matter is, the current price and service quality of taxi is inferior to Uber. The taxi industry as it stands right now is falling behind the times. In many ways, the current taxi industry is a relic of the past, just like how physical paper mail is superseded by email at first, and now by numerous other means of communication; or how film cameras is superseded by digital film at first, and now decimated by the prevalence of camera phones; or how land lines are totally dominated by mobile communications. You don't see governments coming in to rescue Kodak when its photographic film division goes out of business. You don't see the provincial government paying BC Tel / Telus when their landline operations shrink. IMO, the taxi industry is already getting a very nice deal from the Libs.

[Manic!]

1/2 of Uber drivers quit within the first year. Uber claims drivers make an average or $25 a hour that's complete B.S.

Uber considers here drivers independent contractors. In The U.K. uber lost a lawsuit and now there drivers a considered workers not independent contractors and have to be paid a minimum wage and be given vacation time.


In B.C. taxi drivers must be paid at least minimum wage and so should uber drivers.

Interpretation Guidelines Manual British Columbia Employment Standards Act and Regulations - Province of British Columbia (http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/employment-standards-advice/employment-standards/igm/esr-part-7-section-37-1)


Minimum Wage

A taxi driver must be paid at least minimum wage for all hours worked, averaged monthly. If the driver is a lease operator, minimum wage is calculated after the driver has recovered the amount of the lease payment.

[TypeRNammer]

What makes you think Taxi drivers are not also driving for uber? First doing a shift in there taxi then doing a shift for Uber. Now you have and a uber driver that has been driving for 15 plus hours. You really think that's safe?

If uber drivers and taxi drivers made similar wages there would not be such a problem.

If someone is bring in a $20000 to $40000 or more in equipment to use at work they should be getting paid more than minimum wage. Some are making less than minimum wage in the states.


Good article on pay from a driver: https://www.ridester.com/how-much-do-uber-drivers-make/

Driving for more than 15 hours? That doesn't make any sense as that is violating the NSC (national safety code).

As a professional operator, driving time cannot be more than 13 hours, duty time cannot be more than 14 hours.

This is just the gist of it, you can find out more information about the national safety code on ICBC website, under the commercial licensing book.

[stewie]

With today being St. Patricks day....good luck to anyone trying to get a cab!

[FerrariEnzo]

If the (most) cab drivers provided better service or drove better without endangering themselves, passengers and other drivers, then this wouldnt have happen. Most of the taxi drivers provide shit poor service and rip off tourists...

One time I have a guest who check into out hotel in richmond and its been awhile since this new $20 airport to any richmond hotel thing came out.. this taxi drive charged $20 per person... $60 and the tourist didnt know any better and when I found out, I immediately called the taxi company and complained. The next morning, the manager came to apologize to the guest and refunded the full $60.

If the taxi company changed their model from pay after to pay before like uber, then it might be a game changer for them. They dont rip off guests (especially the drunk ones) like taking longer route or whatever. Taxi drivers dont get ripped off from people who pretend to not have money.

[MarkyMark]

Lol fucking taxis, this reminds me of the last time me and my buddies took a cab back from Vancouver to Langley. We were all pretty drunk and when we got to our destination it was around $90 on the meter and the cabby says "oh this meter isn't working properly it should be over $100". We just laughed and told him tough shit. I wonder how many drunk people that line works on.

[SkinnyPupp]

Actually many people are.

Here is a list of cars required for Uber black.

Uber BLACK Car List example

When requesting an UberBLACK, you can expect a pickup from a car similar to the ones below.

BMW 5-Series & 7-Series
Mercedes S/G/GL/GLA/GLC-Class+
Volvo XC90
Infiniti Q70
Lexus LS460
Audi A6/A7/A8
Hyundai Genesis
Jaguar XF/XJ
Range Rover
Porsche Cayenne & Macan
Rolls-Royce Phantom & Ghost
Cadillac Escalade
Volvo S80

You think if you could afford a car like that without Uber you would be driving with Uber.

Also Uber is taking jobs away from Taxi drivers who actually drive for a living.
I knew your silly anti Uber rhetoric had to come from somewhere

[meme405]

Driving for more than 15 hours? That doesn't make any sense as that is violating the NSC (national safety code).

As a professional operator, driving time cannot be more than 13 hours, duty time cannot be more than 14 hours.

This is just the gist of it, you can find out more information about the national safety code on ICBC website, under the commercial licensing book.

Lol yes and it's not like their car just automatically stops and doesn't function any more if they keep working.

His point is who is monitoring these drivers? It's probably the only valid point he's made. (Albeit its an issue without uber as well so really it's not Uber's fault). The cab companies monitor their drivers to make sure that they don't drive for too long, its one of the benefits of having a regulated business operating the drivers.

Now on the other hand if I work as a cab driver for 10 hours a day, and then go drive my uber for another 8, boom I'm way over the limit, and neither company is any wiser as to what I have done.

Now this is all a moot point, because: I had a guy which got away doing this for awhile, he would drive for a local delivery company for 6-8 hours, and then go drive for translink 8-10 hours (and then later a private school bus company). He was in direct violation of his commercial drivers license.

I love how people are defending the cabbies "right to make a living", "uber can't come here, because then drivers won't make what they do now".

Yeah exactly, it's called an open job market. Pay the people what they are willing to be paid to perform a function. As long as Uber's aren't dangerous, and the drivers are involved in more incidents then regular regulated cabs, then let them do their thing.

This goes back exactly to the same arguments for and against $15 an hour minimum wage. It's trash, if you think $15 an hour minimum wage makes economic sense, you are exactly the type of retard who will probably be working for that minimum wage.

[CivicBlues]

https://cdn.meme.am/instances/500x/76128990/helen-lovejoy-wont-somebody-please-think-of-the-drivers.jpg

[Hondaracer]

Lol!

[iwantaskyline]

Judge approves $27 million driver settlement in Lyft lawsuit | Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/us-lyft-drivers-idUSKBN16N30D)

A U.S. judge gave final approval on Thursday to a settlement agreement in a class-action lawsuit against Lyft Inc, ending a legal case that challenged the independent contractor status of the ride-hailing service's drivers.

Lyft drivers in California had sued the company, arguing they should be classified as employees and therefore be entitled to reimbursement for expenses, including gasoline and vehicle maintenance. Drivers pay those costs themselves.

The settlement agreement keeps drivers as independent contractors.

[Digitalis]

I dont know about Lyft but I know Ubers goal is to eliminate human drivers. Thats something I can't stand behind.

[FerrariEnzo]

thats the way of the future.. why do you think so many big tech companies are racing to be the first proper one

[iwantaskyline]

I dont know about Lyft but I know Ubers goal is to eliminate human drivers. Thats something I can't stand behind.

Do you know how many deaths human drivers account for per year? Autonomous vehicles could eliminate 99% of those deaths.

[SkinnyPupp]

I dont know about Lyft but I know Ubers goal is to eliminate human drivers. Thats something I can't stand behind.
I'm sure some curmudgeonly old luddite said the same thing about motorized vehicles as he sat on his buggy as horses farted in his face

Aside from pleasure, humans driving for commuting purposes is unnecessarily dangerous and inefficient. I can see someone being spoiled living among the safer drivers in the world (all jokes aside) but go practically anywhere else on earth and see how bad the drivers are. Now replace them with automatic drivers and you made the world a safer, more efficient, more environmentally friendly place.

[Teriyaki]

I'm sure some curmudgeonly old luddite said the same thing about motorized vehicles as he sat on his buggy as horses farted in his face

Aside from pleasure, humans driving for commuting purposes is unnecessarily dangerous and inefficient. I can see someone being spoiled living among the safer drivers in the world (all jokes aside) but go practically anywhere else on earth and see how bad the drivers are. Now replace them with automatic drivers and you made the world a safer, more efficient, more environmentally friendly place.

Agreed. One day driving will just become a hobby like horse-back riding, or golf or the like. We'll all become more efficient with our days, and costs should be lower as technically we should be able to "timeshare" our ownership of vehicles. Infact, it could be that ownership of vehicles will become history completely as we all transition to a shared economy of autonomous cars. They'll just become appliances that take us from A to B.

[underscore]

Agreed. One day driving will just become a hobby like horse-back riding, or golf or the like. We'll all become more efficient with our days, and costs should be lower as technically we should be able to "timeshare" our ownership of vehicles. Infact, it could be that ownership of vehicles will become history completely as we all transition to a shared economy of autonomous cars. They'll just become appliances that take us from A to B.

Which makes me assume that eventually you won't even be able to drive your manually controlled car on the road, you'll have to get it automatically towed to a closed track just to drive it, or your offroader out to FSRs :(

[MarkyMark]

Which makes me assume that eventually you won't even be able to drive your manually controlled car on the road, you'll have to get it automatically towed to a closed track just to drive it, or your offroader out to FSRs :(

We'll all be so old that we shouldn't be on the road anyways by the time that happens. Yeah the technology is coming but getting to the point where all our current cars are obsolete and banned from public roads is a long way off.

[sonick]

Bump, this topic is back up in the news lately, and also I spotted an Uber-branded car earlier today, not sure what they're doing?

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DH78jFWVwAAXT6w.jpg

[punkwax]

Mapping.

[Mr.Money]

the east indian taxi companies are gonna riot and get under-cut so god damn hard with more competition.


I'll take an Uber so i won't have to smell hot sweaty body odor

[yray]

inb4 gang war on uber

[murd0c]

fuck the EI taxi companies

[FerrariEnzo]

if the taxi drivers werent such douche with bad customer service, I would side with them.. but they are so to hell with them

[Mr.HappySilp]

if the taxi drivers werent such douche with bad customer service, I would side with them.. but they are so to hell with them

They aren't so bad. The few times I used them the driver are really nice. Even my grandma who lives in a care house use tax whenever we all go out for dinner. The taxi drivers help us with the wheelchair and make sure the ride isn't too bumpy.

[Hondaracer]

Thing is, 90% of the taxi drivers don't own their own license. I'm sure the vast majority of licenses are owned by a handful of people who have been raking in the profits under the current system.

They are the only ones going to get hurt. Your average cab driver may be better off buying a vehicle and joining uber than continuing to rent a car from a licensee owner

[ImportPsycho]

what are all those stories and reports about how uber drivers make almost nothing when everything is factored? scare tactics from taxi company?

[meme405]

what are all those stories and reports about how uber drivers make almost nothing when everything is factored? scare tactics from taxi company?

I've talked to cab drivers all over the states, they have all tried uber when it came to their city, most didn't make anything compared to driving a cab, but the number of cab drivers are getting cut in a lot of cities cause uber, so they didn't know what to do.

A few basically said the difference was this: I make the same amount of money every day, but driving my cab I don't pay for insurance, I don't pay for the car or the maintenance, and I split the cost of gas with the company.

Driving for Uber all those expenses fall into his lap.

So yeah uber drivers make fuck all, unless your a short sighted nupty who doesn't see the additional wear and tear on your car, and just count the money in your pocket.

Honestly I don't give a fuck, Uber turns the system into a free market system, which means people will pay what someone is willing to drive for. This is a system I am all for, I'm sorry but driving a cab isn't skilled labor, any idiot with a license can do it, there is no need for the government to shelter people with jobs like this. Once the cabbies get butt fucked, then we can turn our attention to slashing salaries on all the bus drivers too, another overpaid government job.

[Mr.Money]

i wonder if thats before when they didn't allow drivers to collect tips,could be extra $50-80 daily in tip money.

[blkgsr]

uber is just so much more convenient with the app and knowing how many cars are close to you. plus the cars haven't been shit kicked and are in decent shape. how many times have you gotten in a taxi and are praying the brakes still work based on the sound of them.

and now the car shares like evo and car2go (unless your drunk or going out of vancouver) are also super convenient

i live in coquitlam and would love to see evo expand to include coquitlam (and burnaby) so we could dive west and dump a car where ever....then take an uber home

[iwantaskyline]

When they finally come it's going to a big boost to our night life scene. Bill Simmons always says in jest on his podcast; Uber is the direct cause of the increase in accidental babies in LA. LUL

[Hondaracer]

if people are making peanuts working for uber, there sure are a hell of a lot of people willing to work for peanuts, and driving higher end cars in many cases.

As i said in previous posts, in Toronto we never once waited for more than 5 minutes for a ride and in two cases on fri/sat night, we paid $8 for a 15 minute ride in a brand new escalade and a brand new Tahoe.

[iwantaskyline]

if people are making peanuts working for uber, there sure are a hell of a lot of people willing to work for peanuts, and driving higher end cars in many cases.

As i said in previous posts, in Toronto we never once waited for more than 5 minutes for a ride and in two cases on fri/sat night, we paid $8 for a 15 minute ride in a brand new escalade and a brand new Tahoe.

It's not their full time job. 99% of the drivers do it as a side gig. When I was in Orlando, not a single one of them said they do it full time and this is Orlando; tourists galore.

[meme405]

It's not their full time job. 99% of the drivers do it as a side gig. When I was in Orlando, not a single one of them said they do it full time and this is Orlando; tourists galore.

Which is exactly why at 5am on a tuesday in LA I had a problem getting an uber, and had to resort to catching a regular cab. Because many of the drivers only work weekends, or preferential periods when they can quickly make a lot of trips.

Also for those saying the app is convenient, I agree, but don't forget, you are now paying 3 million of your tax dollars so that all the cab companies in Vancouver can build an app to compete... Cause their business management was too inept to adapt to a growing market trend.

I wish the government would give me 3 million dollars so that I can fix the problems I failed to identify with my business.

Fucking Retarded.

[Hondaracer]

If 3 million results in me getting uber don't really care, tax dollars are wasted on things that effect me far less than this

[fsy82]

Wasnt the NDP against UBER during the campaign? Cause I know that all taxi companies back NDP because of this

[blkgsr]

Which is exactly why at 5am on a tuesday in LA I had a problem getting an uber, and had to resort to catching a regular cab. Because many of the drivers only work weekends, or preferential periods when they can quickly make a lot of trips.

Also for those saying the app is convenient, I agree, but don't forget, you are now paying 3 million of your tax dollars so that all the cab companies in Vancouver can build an app to compete... Cause their business management was too inept to adapt to a growing market trend.

I wish the government would give me 3 million dollars so that I can fix the problems I failed to identify with my business.

Fucking Retarded.

i haven't read a single article that talks about this but why the fuck does the government have to give taxis companies $3M to develop an app?

why the fuck does the government (or me and you for that matter) owe them a single fucking thing?

their lack of business foresight and the fact they sat like fat cats hoping UBER would never come is their problem

[ForbiddenX]

Looks like they'll be here tomorrow with some ice cream delivery lol

http://i.imgur.com/1kPSZHc.png

[DragonChi]

What a time we live in! At the touch of an app, I can have ice cream delivered for free.

[Traum]

Wasnt the NDP against UBER during the campaign? Cause I know that all taxi companies back NDP because of this
NDP was not openly against Uber during the campagin. They just knew a bulk of their votes are from those who are against Uber, so they pussyfooted around the issue by saying they'll sit down and evaluate the situation when the time comes.

i haven't read a single article that talks about this but why the fuck does the government have to give taxis companies $3M to develop an app?

why the fuck does the government (or me and you for that matter) owe them a single fucking thing?

their lack of business foresight and the fact they sat like fat cats hoping UBER would never come is their problem
While I fully agree that it is the taxi industry's own damn fault for:

1) driving their licence costs super sky high, thereby putting themselves in a lot of risk when things go south

2) failing to adapt to a changing business environment

3) putting themselves into a situation where their service quality is subpar and cannot compete against Uber

I am only theoretically against giving them a handout to compete against Uber. In practice, if that's what it takes to get buy-in from them, I say we bite the bullet to go for it.

The problem is, the taxi industry knows they'll likely get fxxked and out competed against Uber, and their drivers know that at the end of the day, they'll bring home less $$$. So as a whole, they are very much against having Uber legalized in order to protect their own interests. From the government's perspective, they don't want to lose votes from the taxi industry support base, so they can't afford to just give Uber a free hand to operate. The assistance money is essentially a bribe to get the taxi industry to shut up and agree to let Uber join the playing field.

In this taxi / Uber / cars for hire case, I believe a free market approach would bring about a superior outcome for the customers. I also don't care whether it is Uber or traditional taxi that wins the race at the end. Or maybe they can find an equilibrium to co-exist and share the market somehow. At the end of the day, I just think competition can bring a better product to better serve consumers.


As a side note, it is interesting how I am pro free market when it comes to taxi, but support ICBC's near monopoly when it comes to auto insurance.

[blkgsr]

a "bride" isn't going to keep their support worth shit, and the NDP would be naive to think it would. I'm sure the taxi "bosses" are floating this idea and saying "ya pay us and we'll still support you" but once the money changes hands watch the support go with it

once uber's in, why would the taxi industry have any motive to keep supporting any one government over the other?

[originalhypa]

I'm sorry but driving a cab isn't skilled labor, any idiot with a license can do it

And yet I never wear my seatbelt in a cab because for some reason I trust them to keep me safe.

fuk
DansGame

[Traum]

a "bride" isn't going to keep their support worth shit, and the NDP would be naive to think it would. I'm sure the taxi "bosses" are floating this idea and saying "ya pay us and we'll still support you" but once the money changes hands watch the support go with it

once uber's in, why would the taxi industry have any motive to keep supporting any one government over the other?
On the government's part, I don't think any party in power is really looking that far ahead on an issue like Uber. Instead, the mentality is probably one of getting the issue resolved, and move on to something else and not really think about this issue again (until something blows up again). In light of that mentality, a "bribe" is the perfect tool to obtain that buy-in and get the job done.

Additionally, the politicians know that the public will probably not support continual handouts to an outdated industry and business model. So if the traditional taxi industry still fails after the government handout, they have every reason to cite a lack of public support to continually propping the industry up. But if the taxi industry somehow comes out on top, they can claim credit for bolstering an industry during tough times so that it can survive. To them, this is a win-win.

For the taxi industry bosses, I can see 2 possibilities:

1) If they are idiots, they'd think that a big fat government handout can make them competitive again and put up a good fight against Uber. They may not win outright, but they'll retain enough marketshare to hang on and still turn in a profit.

2) If they are not idiots, then they'd know damn well that in the long run, they can't keep Uber out indefinitely. So they might as well take a big fat government handout now, and then decide what to do later. Perhaps they can con the next idiot to buy out their current taxi business? Or maybe they can keep milking the golden goose until it dies?

The point is, getting a handout is better than not getting any handouts no matter how you look at it.

[ImportPsycho]

Looks like they'll be here tomorrow with some ice cream delivery lol

http://i.imgur.com/1kPSZHc.png




https://uberblogapi.10upcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/ImagePastedat2017-8-2411-49-1024x777.png

:okay:

[meme405]

The ice cream thing is genius on Uber's part. Another item which shows how much they understand this market space.

Sure the entire thing might end up costing them 50k or 100k.

But every single person who hears about it is going to DL the app and register and get their free icecream.

So once uber starts operating you already have their app, and you already have an account setup. No reason to not start using it right away.

Genius. Pure Genius.

RIP Cabbies.

[donk.]

Speaking of this entire thread, i was in San Francisco two weeks ago, and i noticed how many Lyft and Uber cabs there were.

Cant wait to see Taxis go extinct finally.

[BaoTurbo]

If only they stretched the range a little more south then I can get some at work lol

[danned]

can you just stand at the house in the blue zone area and request an icecream?
parks? gas station? mcdonald? london drugs? shoppersmart?
town houses? apartments? school?hospital?
starbucks? tim hortons? malls?
canada place? bc place? chinatown store? rexall?

:pokerface:awwyeah::fuckyea:

it is must household address?

[Gerbs]

Probably just the area.

[ImportPsycho]

can you just stand at the house in the blue zone area and request an icecream?
parks? gas station? mcdonald? london drugs? shoppersmart?
town houses? apartments? school?hospital?
starbucks? tim hortons? malls?
canada place? bc place? chinatown store? rexall?

:pokerface:awwyeah::fuckyea:

it is must household address?


if it's same as getting ride on their app, you don't need to be at a address.
you could be standing in the middle of the road.

[blkgsr]

On the government's part, I don't think any party in power is really looking that far ahead on an issue like Uber. Instead, the mentality is probably one of getting the issue resolved, and move on to something else and not really think about this issue again (until something blows up again). In light of that mentality, a "bribe" is the perfect tool to obtain that buy-in and get the job done.

Additionally, the politicians know that the public will probably not support continual handouts to an outdated industry and business model. So if the traditional taxi industry still fails after the government handout, they have every reason to cite a lack of public support to continually propping the industry up. But if the taxi industry somehow comes out on top, they can claim credit for bolstering an industry during tough times so that it can survive. To them, this is a win-win.

For the taxi industry bosses, I can see 2 possibilities:

1) If they are idiots, they'd think that a big fat government handout can make them competitive again and put up a good fight against Uber. They may not win outright, but they'll retain enough marketshare to hang on and still turn in a profit.

2) If they are not idiots, then they'd know damn well that in the long run, they can't keep Uber out indefinitely. So they might as well take a big fat government handout now, and then decide what to do later. Perhaps they can con the next idiot to buy out their current taxi business? Or maybe they can keep milking the golden goose until it dies?

The point is, getting a handout is better than not getting any handouts no matter how you look at it.

oh i totally get that. if i was the taxi industry i'd be making all sorts of promises to get the money. it's all up to the government on how they want to look at it like the way you put it

[CivicBlues]

"No Ice Cream Available"

Wtf

[iwantaskyline]

"No Ice Cream Available"

Wtf

Same here...Coal Harbour area. SwiftRage

[CivicBlues]

I'm in Kits.

Gonna be a lot of pissed off hipsters if they don't deliver.

[roflwaffle604]

Same here...Coal Harbour area. SwiftRage

Word

[iwantaskyline]

Lyft it is...LUL

[winson604]

Logged in at 1101 and nothing fuck you

[dapperfied]

Way to fuck it up, Uber. You had one job.

Lyft FTMFW!

:troll:

[turb0triX]

The ice cream thing is genius on Uber's part. Another item which shows how much they understand this market space.

Sure the entire thing might end up costing them 50k or 100k.

But every single person who hears about it is going to DL the app and register and get their free icecream.

So once uber starts operating you already have their app, and you already have an account setup. No reason to not start using it right away.

Genius. Pure Genius.

RIP Cabbies.

Regardless of this ice cream promo shit, people are going to download Uber and start using it right away when they launch. The hype and demand for this service here is evident. At the end of the day, people just wanna Uber everywhere, pre-rolls in the VIP. skrr skrr

[ssjGoku69]

They ran out of ice-cream a few minutes past 11:00. Definitely not costing them that much in ice-cream

[underscore]

if it's same as getting ride on their app, you don't need to be at a address.
you could be standing in the middle of the road.

"I'm not going a step further until I get some goddamn ice cream!"

[ForbiddenX]

They ran out of ice-cream a few minutes past 11:00. Definitely not costing them that much in ice-cream

Did they have like 1 ice cream sandwhich per delivery person?

[Liquid_o2]

A marketing idea that ended up as a failure for the consumers. But everyone downloaded their app, so they are happy.

Another reason why Uber is a shit company, and people shouldn't be begging them to come. Lyft on the other hand...

[CivicBlues]

I've only used Uber and thought it was great from an end user perspective. I haven't used Lyft so I can't comment. Can someone explain why they are better than Uber? Other than them "not being Uber"?

Thanks

[Hondaracer]

As the consumer of the product i dont get why people who arent drivers get their panties in a bunch over how "bad" of a company it is or how they treat their drivers.

People choose to work for them, and as a consumer, their service works great, dont really care about the company structure if it works well for myself.

[pherio]

HaHa, People on twitter losing their collective shit. There's one driver and he's busy taking instagram pictures with the girls he delivers to.

[underscore]

As a consumer, this is why I dislike Uber. I know it's completely random whether people care about a companies shady practices or not so it likely won't affect them though.

It's not just the data they collect, weren't there reports that they were tracking users at all times? And when they were being investigated in Quebec they remoted into the servers and started deleting data.

[iwantaskyline]

I've only used Uber and thought it was great from an end user perspective. I haven't used Lyft so I can't comment. Can someone explain why they are better than Uber? Other than them "not being Uber"?

Thanks

Only difference I noticed last year between the two apps was Uber for some reason doesn't display the car colour. I'm not sure if that's been updated.

[roflwaffle604]

I've only used Uber and thought it was great from an end user perspective. I haven't used Lyft so I can't comment. Can someone explain why they are better than Uber? Other than them "not being Uber"?

Thanks

Lyft is cheaper than Uber during busy times when Uber would activate their surge charge. Can't exactly remember the specifics but iirc Lyft's version of surge charge is capped I think whereas Uber has no cap which is why you sometimes hear of surge charge horror stories

[punkwax]

Used Uber a couple weeks ago in Tacoma. Took a cab from the hotel to Chambers Bay and it was $35. Uber back was only $18. Girl that picked us up was super outgoing and hilarious. Will definitely use Uber when it comes here.

Took a $120 cab ride home from Metallica last week, left my bag of swag in the cab and it's gone forever. Would it be easy to reconnect with an Uber driver if necessary? Could be even more reason to use the service..

[FerrariEnzo]

Earnest Ice Cream says it "made a mistake" in partnering with Uber (http://www.news1130.com/2017/08/25/earnest-ice-cream-mistake-uber/)

That went south pretty fast.. haha

[Traum]

Hmm... interesting... I wonder what kind of values Uber has/represents that do not align with Earnest. Or more realistically, why Earnest thinks it was a bad move for them to be associated with the Uber name?

[twitchyzero]

A marketing idea that ended up as a failure for the consumers. But everyone downloaded their app, so they are happy.

Another reason why Uber is a shit company, and people shouldn't be begging them to come. Lyft on the other hand...

muffin, someone didn't get their freebie

[a00755836]

didn't get my ice cream. kinda wasted my time today trying the app. it didn't even appear until 1pm instead of 11am for some reason.

[ImportPsycho]

Earnest Ice Cream says it "made a mistake" in partnering with Uber (http://www.news1130.com/2017/08/25/earnest-ice-cream-mistake-uber/)

That went south pretty fast.. haha

Huh? What's the problem here?
I'm confused....

[iwantaskyline]

Huh? What's the problem here?
I'm confused....

Just google their recent ethics issues...It's the whole reason why they're CEO recently resigned.

[Hondaracer]

Used Uber a couple weeks ago in Tacoma. Took a cab from the hotel to Chambers Bay and it was $35. Uber back was only $18. Girl that picked us up was super outgoing and hilarious. Will definitely use Uber when it comes here.

Took a $120 cab ride home from Metallica last week, left my bag of swag in the cab and it's gone forever. Would it be easy to reconnect with an Uber driver if necessary? Could be even more reason to use the service..

Not sure if theres a messaging system built into the app, but at the very least you would know exactly who you drove with and what vehicle you were in, as opposed to cabs where you'd have to go out of your way to take note of that info