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Taxis and ride-sharing in Toronto

When I hear of taxi drivers confronting Uber drivers I ask myself, how does the cabbie identify the Uber driver? If I'm waiting for an Uber car at Union Station for example, the private car that picks me up could easily be a family or friend or otherwise arranged pick up.
 
Admiral Beez said:
When I hear of taxi drivers confronting Uber drivers I ask myself, how does the cabbie identify the Uber driver? If I'm waiting for an Uber car at Union Station for example, the private car that picks me up could easily be a family or friend or otherwise arranged pick up.
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Well if it's your family or friend, you almost never get in the back seat. That's usually the dead giveaway for Uber. In fact, I ask now if they'd prefer I sit in the front seat so that it looks less like Uber.
 
Admiral Beez said:
When I hear of taxi drivers confronting Uber drivers I ask myself, how does the cabbie identify the Uber driver? If I'm waiting for an Uber car at Union Station for example, the private car that picks me up could easily be a family or friend or otherwise arranged pick up.
Click to expand...

Napoleon said:
Well if it's your family or friend, you almost never get in the back seat. That's usually the dead giveaway for Uber. In fact, I ask now if they'd prefer I sit in the front seat so that it looks less like Uber.
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True. They also look for a smartphone on the dashboard. A phone on dash + passengers in the back is usually a dead giveaway.
 
I've become a lot less impressed with the quality of Uber's drivers and their vehicles as of recent. My last two trips were in vehicles strewn with kids toys and the personal belongings of the driver. The AC wasn't working on the second of these trips.

The first driver didn't like the route the GPS gave him, so I had to use my phone to give him directions the whole way there. I had to remind him to stop the meter at the end of the trop. The second driver seemingly didn't understand how to use his navigation system. Mind that where we were going was a fairly major destination in the city, so there really isn't any excuse for either of these drivers to not know how to get there. This driver also had serious road rage issues, shouting expletives at other drivers on the road. These two trips were easily the worst "taxi" trips I've been on, and they've really tainted my view of Uber.

I don't know what training Uber gives their drivers, but I wouldn't be surprised if they're not training them at all. It's ridiculous that they have drivers out there that don't know how to get to major destinations in the city, can't operate a GPS, use disorganized vehicles and have serious rage issues. It's about time that the City begin regulating this service. Perhaps testing to ensure that these drivers have a clue about what they're doing.
 
TheTigerMaster said:
I've become a lot less impressed with the quality of Uber's drivers and their vehicles as of recent. My last two trips were in vehicles strewn with kids toys and the personal belongings of the driver. The AC wasn't working on the second of these trips.

The first driver didn't like the route the GPS gave him, so I had to use my phone to give him directions the whole way there. I had to remind him to stop the meter at the end of the trop. The second driver seemingly didn't understand how to use his navigation system. Mind that where we were going was a fairly major destination in the city, so there really isn't any excuse for either of these drivers to not know how to get there. This driver also had serious road rage issues, shouting expletives at other drivers on the road. These two trips were easily the worst "taxi" trips I've been on, and they've really tainted my view of Uber.
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Be sure to use the star ratings and give specific feedback. I've gotten personalized responses on the few occasions something hasn't been up to par. They also drop poorly ranked drivers pretty quickly.
 
Admiral Beez said:
When I hear of taxi drivers confronting Uber drivers I ask myself, how does the cabbie identify the Uber driver? If I'm waiting for an Uber car at Union Station for example, the private car that picks me up could easily be a family or friend or otherwise arranged pick up.
Click to expand...
My daughter loves to play Spot the Uber when we're downtown
 
Napoleon said:
Be sure to use the star ratings and give specific feedback. I've gotten personalized responses on the few occasions something hasn't been up to par. They also drop poorly ranked drivers pretty quickly.
Click to expand...

I have given one a bad review for not stopping at any 4-way stop sign. Uber contacted me the same day and said the driver was warned previously about bad driving. Since this was a second issue with the driving they fired him from their app. Nice and simple. 2nd time and you're gone.

Imagine if you tried to complain to a taxi company. They would ignore you and probably not even tell the driver. The City of Toronto lets drivers with criminal offenses drive cars (after a simple appeal that "they have changed").

I've had good and bad drivers...both with Uber and a taxi. But I know that Uber will correct a problem while a taxi company will just protect their own.

And have you been in a taxi when you complain about Uber cars? A taxi normally doesn't have shocks, are 15+ years old and are skimpy on the A/C. With Uber I have a 75% chance that its a better car and it's 50% cheaper. Just last week I was in a Uber Ford Explorer with leather seats.
 
muller877 said:
Imagine if you tried to complain to a taxi company. They would ignore you and probably not even tell the driver. The City of Toronto lets drivers with criminal offenses drive cars (after a simple appeal that "they have changed").
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Partisans on both sides of this issue always make a deal about the potential for past offenders to be drivers.

What's the big deal though? We shouldn't turn past offenders into economic pariahs. A specific history of dangerous driving may be salient but, on the whole, we should really be careful about stigmatizing past offenders like this.

Personally though, I do feel safer in an Uber as there is always a record of the driver who is picking me up. I feel like that kind of transparency is better than a blanket prohibition on past offenders.
 
mdrejhon said:
-- Commercial insurance companies now can provide proper coverage more easily --
In addition, this forms the necessary climate for insurance companies to assess risk of app-hail duty (e.g. Uber), and offer lower rates for good drivers who only do occasional part-time app-hail duty (e.g. Uber). Insurance companies can look at Uber log to charge a variable rate based on amount of Uber airtime -- so a part-time Uber driver doing it as a 2nd job -- shall pay a rate much more proportionate to the amount of driving. (Like taxi-drivers that own their plate/cab but only run it part-time -- some insurance companies in some jurisdictions already make that provision).
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However Ontario doesn't allow municipalities to dictate the rules of commercial insurance. Unless insurance companies are willing to go along with this, which I doubt, then I can see this being challenged.
 
I used Uber this past weekend for the first time. I am pleased with it. It's more convenient with the app, the cars are cleaner and nicer, and it's way cheaper than taking a taxi so what's the need of me using a cab again?
 
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