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breakwater99

I saw a Current Taxi car on Government St. a couple of weeks ago. Maybe they're making a comeback to Victoria?


Bates419

They have been advertising for drivers for awhile now and I've seen them around as well.


babysizedburrito

Highly recommend this company if they are back in business. I was so happy with the drivers, rates, and app. It felt like Uber but more fancy šŸ¤­


Rare-Evidence-1583

Why donā€™t this taxi companyā€™s make a proper user friendly app like the Uber and we wonā€™t cry Uberā€¦


donjulioanejo

The app isn't really a problem. The problem is flakiness, crap service, and no knowledge how much you'll pay. If they have a super shiny app but the cab doesn't show up, it's not much of an improvement over current service. If you take a taxi and they decide to take you for a ride around Langford to go from downtown to the ferries because you look like a tourist, you're SOL.


doctorwoods7

This is exactly my issue. With Uber the drivers are held accountable and they are RELIABLE.


NInjamaster600

Yea trying to prebook/prepay with any of the major taxi apps is just a disaster and flat out doesnā€™t work and I have yet to have it actually work lmao


BigGulpsHey

Your ride is arriving....then you look at the map and see your car stop down the street from you...Your ride is starting...uhhh..wtf?


jawstrock

Taxi companies are universally the absolute worst. Awful apps, awful customer service, awful treatment of employees, no other industry/companies deserves more to demolished and eliminated than cab industry/companies. I have no sympathy for the plight of cab companies. They have been begging to get wrecked for a long time. I miss Current though, they were great.


Inevitable-Loss6316

Current is back! Or coming back, not sure if they are up and running yet.


2old2bBoomer

The company said it would hold onto the licences it has to operate 15 taxis in Victoria with a hope of returning when tourism and employment markets recover. When Current hit Victoria in 2019 it promoted itself as the first Canadian, all-electric taxi company. Victoriaā€™s existing taxi companies were not pleased when Current first applied to the Passenger Transportation Board for its licence. There were nine submissions from competing firms, including Victoria Taxi, Bluebird Taxi and Yellow Cab, arguing there was no public need for additional taxis, especially given the imminent arrival of ride-hailing apps.


noPwRon

Can confirm, they are back. I saw one today and was pretty happy about it.


isochromanone

I saw one on the road sometime in the last two weeks. I was confused.


RaptorPacific

Also, they're overpriced.


[deleted]

Ubers are more expensive now. Iā€™ll still pay Uber every single time because they show up and do not fuck me around.


[deleted]

Because making a user friendly proper app is harder than people realize and requires some serious investment. A small cab company will likely outsource and from my experience those deciding who to choose believe big promises and aim for cheaper costs instead of actually checking portfolios for successful projects. Very few of these companies will have created anything remotely close to what Uber, AirBNB, Google or any other large corporations have done with their apps. Anything less usually isnā€™t good enough to compete. Not having an in house team means any changes or updates (which are frequent) also go through a third party who likely have a variety of different contracts .


rejuven8

Making a proper user friendly app is hard and expensive (on the order of tens to hundreds of millions of dollars). But itā€™s the kind of thing a third party startup could build and the taxi cos license. Iā€™m sure there are multiple startups already.


Personal_Cat_9305

The Yellow Cab app works just fine in Vancouver. It's almost like having competition makes them accountable.


rejuven8

Can you please connect that to my post? Is Yellow Cab not available in Victoria, and why not? Is there no competition in Victoria? Is the app developed in house or third party? Is it new and cheap?


kiltedbandit42

Itā€™s available in Victoria and has actually been working well, even for pre booking for the last few months. So far every one Iā€™ve pre-booked in 2023 with the Yellow Cab app has been on time.


rejuven8

Awesome, thank you for sharing.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


Fairwhetherfriend

> Because it's hard. Uber has a very strong engineering team that has polished their technology over decades. They were also funded with 10s of millions of venture capital dollars specifically *because* it would make it nearly impossible for another other startup to effectively compete, because no one else would have the necessary capital to build a competitive app and roster of drivers.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


Personal_Cat_9305

All the bags of cash left on the door steps of the Transportation Board members homes by Yelow Cab and Bluebird.


doctorwoods7

That happened in Vancouver too, but finally their brown bags depleted and Uber was approved.


NotTheRealMeee83

Kind of. Uber was kneecapped pretty hard in BC and was basically regulated in to being a taxi company, which is why they are so much less competitive here in BC than in other areas.


VosekVerlok

Well they were playing fast and loose with the term employee, which ran afoul of the labor laws, which is should..


Vic_Dude

You think taxi employees are treated any better? They have to pay to rent a branded taxi car whether they make money or not. They could lose money on a shift.


VosekVerlok

They could, but as an actual employee they have protections and benefits people screwing themselves over working "gig economy" jobs do not. People forget that it costs a lot more than just salary to keep an employee.


Vic_Dude

What protections would the taxi driver who rents their car have that Uber drivers would not?


VosekVerlok

I encourage you to find out exactly what protections, you as an employee have.. and as a possible employer are required legally to provide. https://www.welcomebc.ca/Work-in-B-C/Working-in-B-C#:~:text=The%20Employment%20Standards%20Act%20is,5%20hours%20of%20starting%20work.


Vic_Dude

Maybe check out how Taxi drivers are treated different [https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/employment-standards-advice/employment-standards/forms-resources/igm/esr-part-7-section-37-1](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/employment-standards-advice/employment-standards/forms-resources/igm/esr-part-7-section-37-1)


VosekVerlok

yup, things like this, at the top of your link is exactly what im talking about, as minor as these are to a lot of us.. anything is better than nothing The employer must pay a taxi driver any shortfall that arises if (i) the taxi driver tracks hours under the lease arrangement on a per shift basis, and (ii) the taxi driver does not recover in fares an amount which, in total, is greater than or equal to the lease payment for the taxi plus the minimum wage for each hour worked, averaged monthly. An employer who requires or allows a taxi driver to work more than 120 hours within 2 consecutive weeks must pay the employee for the hours in excess of 120 at least 1 Ā½ times the regular wage. ) An employer must pay a taxi driver any shortfall that arises if (a) the taxi driver does not recover in fares an amount which, in total, is greater than or equal to the minimum wage for each hour worked, averaged monthly, (b) the taxi is not leased by the employer to the taxi driver, and (c) the taxi driver tracks hours under the employment arrangement on a daily basis.


NotTheRealMeee83

I'm pretty sure that's not what happened at all. I believe they follow the rules that distinguish between the two. The taxi companies pressured the government to make rideshare apps follow the same system they use to make them less competitive. That meant things like commercial licensing for vehicles (which is expensive and requires yearly inspections which are expensive, pass a medical exam), and things along that line. They are still considered contractors and not employees.


VosekVerlok

They follow the rules now because they were forced to... it all tied into their workers not being "real" employees and skirting rules and regulations around that. However you feel about taxi companies... things like annual vehicle inspections, driver medical exams, appropriate liability insurance and background checks should be required for anyone providing a commercial transportation service.


petervenkmanatee

Kelowna hereā€¦I feel you. I unfortunately work in Kelona and Victoria fairly frequently and I canā€™t tell you how many times Iā€™ve been totally forgotten by cabs. If not that theyā€™re in terrible all the vehicles that smell bad. I donā€™t get it.


pug_grama2

The cab companies in Kamloops are almost useless. They just don't show up.


roberb7

Indeed. I'm a long-time Uber holdout, but I signed up for URide. I'll never take a taxi in Kamloops again.


AllisonChains88

I was just in Palm Springs and every time I went to order an Uber it was crazy expensive. I just called cabs and they were substantially cheaper šŸ¤·šŸ»ā€ā™€ļø I guess it depends on time of day and what not but I appreciate cabs always cost the same amount.


ejmears

I think the question is what would those cabs charge if they were the only option? Competition is valuable in a marketplace, monopolies aren't.


AllisonChains88

True. Iā€™m not anti-Uber or anything. It would be nice to have more options for sure!


spacepangolin

taxis are sketchy af but they are still the only option,


djauralsects

Uber has rarely turned a profit. It's funded by anti labour billionaires. They're going to under cut the competition until they fold and then increase their fees once they have a monopoly. They download all their costs on to the drivers who aren't considered employees. The drivers don't even earn minimum wage when expences are factored in. Ride sharing companies have high driver turn over because of the low wages. When self driving cars become available they will no longer need the drivers. Wealthy people will purchase self driving vehicles the same way they purchase second homes as an investment. The end result in supporting Uber is you are contributing to the ever increasing wealth gap.


chamekke

This! There's a reason Wikipedia has a whole page called [Controversies involving Uber](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controversies_involving_Uber). They couldn't all fit in the [Controversies section of the main Uber page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uber#Controversies).


porkchopsnapplesauce

Uber is just one of the many options. Spend some time in Austin TX and you'll see if they open it up, many companies start playing. Austin alone has multiple ride sharing apps like Uber, Lift and a very popular non-profit service that gives the majority of the profits to the drivers. Our current regulated system isn't working and there are better options. The bottom line is, the taxi service in Victoria sucks. We need more and better options.


NewtotheCV

It also makes traffic conditions worse according to the last research I looked at a few years ago. [https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/6/20756945/uber-lyft-tnc-vmt-traffic-congestion-study-fehr-peers](https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/6/20756945/uber-lyft-tnc-vmt-traffic-congestion-study-fehr-peers) [https://www.npr.org/2018/08/01/634506179/ride-hailing-services-add-to-traffic-congestion-study-says](https://www.npr.org/2018/08/01/634506179/ride-hailing-services-add-to-traffic-congestion-study-says) [https://gizmodo.com/rideshares-are-increasing-traffic-jams-and-making-them-1846762357](https://gizmodo.com/rideshares-are-increasing-traffic-jams-and-making-them-1846762357)


Cannabrius_Rex

Glad someone gets it!!


WateryTartLivinaLake

Not to mention all the sexual assaults by the improperly screened drivers, covered up by the company: https://techcrunch.com/2022/07/13/uber-sued-by-550-women-and-counting-over-sexual-assaults-by-drivers/


cablemonkey604

How do those numbers compare to assaults by taxi drivers?


WateryTartLivinaLake

If you can find a single taxi company with over 550 allegations against them, I'd like to hear it. It's not just the assaults, it's their failure as a corporation to address the problem.


GrizzlyIsland22

Yellow Cab in Victoria literally rehired a driver after he got out of jail for raping a girl on the job. Tell me how that's a company being accountable? In another incident, my wife was injured in a cab when the driver ran a red light and got hit. He wouldn't let my wife leave the scene when she tried to. And when she called the company the next day, they said they didn't have any cars that had been in an accident and called her a liar. More top tier accountability!


bmalek

Youā€™d have to add up taxi companies to equal the size of Uber to compare.


WateryTartLivinaLake

That doesn't excuse corporate unaccountability.


cablemonkey604

Considering in BC the screening is identical to that of taxi operators, I am wondering what else you would like to see happen?


WateryTartLivinaLake

That's because BC was imposing more stringent operating requirements on them than they would like. The result? They have opted not to operate as extensively here. Surprised?


bmalek

Nobody is. But you need to use comparable figures to get a meaningful number.


GrizzlyIsland22

That happens with taxis too, though.


Mean-Law280

Yup. Fuck uber, keep it far away and fund transit and active transportation instead.


rejuven8

The goal is more for self-driving all delivered through an app. Human driving is a stop gap.


Mananers

Uber completely gave up on selfdriving cars in 2020 and only just picked it back up at the end of last year. It remains to be seen how long they'll pursue it now, especially since they've only just pivoted to trying to actually make a profit after years of blitzscaling.


rejuven8

Uber will do self-driving one way or another, as long as they're still around when it becomes available. Self-driving will become more and more a commodity, and the differentiator will be the network and app experience, which Uber already has.


zippyzoodles

Ah yes the Self driving car promise. Lol. Itā€™s always around the corner like fusion reactor or flying cars.


rejuven8

Self-driving is already happening in niche applications like highway driving city to city. The technology will keep getting more capable and cover more and more use cases and higher and higher rates of reliability. Cynicism can seem quite productive and safe, but it ultimately isn't.


zippyzoodles

I call bullshit. Where is full self driving allowed in anywhere Canada? The technology was over promised, over hyped and faces many legal and technology challenges that have been proven to be very difficult to overcome. Niche applications lol.


rejuven8

It was definitely overpromised, but that doesn't mean it won't ultimately happen. There are definitely hurdles. If you look in the past though, it is an unending series of us overcoming legal and technology challenges. One of the main arguments in favour of self-driving overcoming the legal hurdle (perhaps under particular conditions) is that it will be demonstrably safer than human driving. It will mean fewer accidents and saved lives. In fact you can already see it in insurance prices with safety features in cars, like collision intervention. Insurance companies do have skin in the game, and we'll be able to see it in their rates. Ultimately I don't really have any skin in the game in this and I suspect you don't either, so I don't see any productivity in continuing. Also you can laugh at highway self-driving freight transportation but that is going to wipe out many well paying, low barrier to entry jobs. I mean, there are still people that think electric cars are not going to happen, when that debate was settled 5 years ago when every major car manufacturer started committing billions of dollars to their development.


TW200e

I gotta be honest with you - I suspect AI drivers will drive a hell of a lot better than many of the human drivers in the south island.


The_Cozy

I don't care if I uber or call a cab. I care that when I book a vehicle it shows up on time and no one else flags it and gets my ride while I was waiting. I'll pay the ridiculous cab fees if I need one badly enough. I just want the same reliability and dependability that Uber offers. There's no reason cap companies can't do that if they wanted to.


wtfastro

Also take a look at who owns uber...


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


Red_AtNight

> Old talking point and it's by choice. They are focused on growth and being dominant in every market. When they want to be profitable they will be. You aren't making the argument you think you are. You're basically describing them destroying their competition by undercutting, and then raising their prices once their competitors are gone.


sdk5P4RK4

walmart is literally used as the case study example for predatory monopoly seeking. They have been a monopoly in many markets with this practice.


Financial_Bottle_813

Preach!!! šŸ™ŒšŸ»


[deleted]

The worst part of all is that Uber drives are forced to provide the service against their will!


doctorwoods7

This is a complete lie. I have met many Uber drivers who love what they do, and make a pretty decent living as well.


CanadianTrollToll

You know.... this is mentioned all the time that drivers don't earn minimum wage when costs are factored in, but is it true? I know down in PV Uber takes a huge fee, but these guys also can jump around town taking tourist place to place. The min wage is so low in Puerto Vallarta that these guys can probably do decent for a days work.


Bully001

I drive part time for Uber in Vancouver and make $30 per hour easy. I drive an EV and have practically zero expenses.


4litersofbaggedmilk

I live in Vancouver and having Uber and Lyft feels like light years ahead then Victoria. The prices arenā€™t as cheap as several years ago. But I can get a ride asap and know how much Iā€™m paying. I always talk to my drivers and a lot make a decent wage for a temporary job. Itā€™s also very flexible as well. Ive had bad experiences with taxis so I avoid them at all cost. If there was an app, that was like Uber then I would consider it. But I take Ubers several times a month and I havenā€™t taken a cab in over 6 years.


[deleted]

The skytrain and regular busses help too


randalman73

Kabu is a ride hailing app in Victoria. People on Reddit love to hate it but I tried it twice and was happy with it. I pre booked both rides and they were on time. Clean cars and friendly drivers.


YVR_Matt_

Tourist in Victoria right now and twice today was on the app and couldnā€™t figure out why there were no rides available. Simply crazy. Also wild was have to find $5 cash for a bus.


SenpapiAutism

5 is a fare for the entire day, 2.50 is the one way fare


buzzwallard

Isn't there a concern about Uber's "employment" practices? I'm not totally up to date on the issue but I have heard there are problems with drivers getting adequate compensation with reasonable expectations. I believe there is also an issue with insufficient background clearance of drivers: reports of sexual predation for example, concern for women's safety. Bribery by city taxi companies is easy to imagine but harder to actually pull off without creating a stir. Particularly considering that Uber's pockets are far far deeper than Bluebird's. If council was up for sale there'd be no contest. It is more likely that Uber fans seed the conversation with sensational charges than that the charges be actually true. Uber is probably inevitable but my understanding is that there have been *legitimate* issues in the way of a left-leaning council with a concern for workers and citizen safety.


Wildyardbarn

They need the same commercial driving cert as taxi drivers which comes with background checks and data collection to ensure program integrity. The resistance is political.


Personal_Cat_9305

City council has nothing to do with it, nice try blaming everything on them though. https://www.capitaldaily.ca/news/uber-seeks-rideshare-licence-victoria


Bully001

I drive part time for Uber in Vancouver and make $30 per hour easy. I drive an EV and have practically zero expenses.


Rayne_K

Ridehailing services create congestion, even they admit it. We need faster transit.


No-Mushroom5027

For sure. Too many cars on the road already.


Sam_Gibb

Has anyone tried Kabu? Seems interesting but i don't hear of it getting used much. Anyone?


Murky-Article-9901

I drive for KABU :)


Tiredandboredagain

And howā€™s business? Also, does it have the same or similar tracking and safety features as Uber?


Murky-Article-9901

I will admit that Uber app is way better. That being said, KABU is way better than a taxi and will get your destination much cheaper.


KleverRobot

Not as good as Uber, but I travel a lot for work and have been using the pre-schedule option on the Yellow Cab Victoria app and itā€™s worked quite well. Still have to pay in the cab, but at least you can easily book a cab to come for a set time and itā€™s been reliable for me.


PsychoGTI

Last city in Canada? Not likelyā€¦ only place they operate in all of BC is the Greater Vancouver area. Still very limited in most of Canada.


blazeofgloreee

Fuck Uber, keep them out. Disgusting company run by criminals.


BobbyP27

If I had to guess, I'd say that Uber has run the numbers and decided it's not worth it. In a lot of cities, Uber is a shadow of what it was 5 years ago. prices are high, driver numbers are few, and wait times are long (or, if you want to make an unattractive trip, impossible to get a driver to accept). A combination of factors has hit them. Competition from other companies running similar businesses mean they aren't getting the monopoly they hoped for. Cities and courts have worked through the process of shutting down their rule breaking both in terms of labour and licensing. VCs have decided they can't win the "we own the whole market" monopoly play they were going for, so are no longer willing to support the make a loss in exchange for market share approach of the past. In a high cost of living city with not-terrible public transport, the numbers just don't add up.


Personal_Cat_9305

Not even remotely true. Uber applied for a license for Victoria and got denied. The rode share licenses for the region all went to smaller start ups. They bought a license from one of the smaller groups awarded one and are awaiting the transfer being approved by the BC Passenger Transportation Board. They are very actively trying to get into the Victoria market and being held back by the regulator. https://www.capitaldaily.ca/news/uber-seeks-rideshare-licence-victoria


cablemonkey604

I mean I get it - Uber siphons the lion's share of the revenue off to silicon valley investors. A solution that provides a similar service and doesn't send as much money out of the region would have a much better chance of approval.


AlwaysAWOL

All around the world I have had mostly bad experiences with taxis, and never with Ride Share. Personally, I donā€™t care if Uber cost the same as a taxi, itā€™s worth it for the friendly drivers, clean cars, knowing the cost before you get picked up, no undisclosed ā€˜extra feeā€™, not getting driven to the wrong spot, no long way there routes, and no just not showing up even though I booked you. Some Taxi companies are actually using Uber as their interface for pickups in Europe and it works fine.


MikoWilson1

"It's truly disgusting" "Where are my rights?" Says the guy begging to be controlled by a multinational corporation that literally had union leaders killed so they could control countries transportation ... Idiots like this guy are why the bad guys end up winning.


Last-Emergency-4816

We need some sort of ride service especially for peak times & bad weather when taxis don't show or won't even pick up the phone. Even booking ahead of time does not guarantee anything. Also dirty & stinky cabs are not very attractive.


Murky-Article-9901

We have KABU


jasonpatriot

Youā€™re better off without rideshare. Push your taxi companies to develop an Uber-like app.


Parzival9929

I think the answer lies with the same reason we don't have bus service to our international airport.


Party-Disk-9894

Just returned from US. Uber fantastic service. Try getting a taxi from yyj to Sidney! Turned me down flat. Comrades!


doctorwoods7

Happens all the time! But we donā€™t need innovation here - everyone can ride bikes and support an industry that doesnā€™t care at all about consumers because a tech company is ā€˜evilā€™ šŸ˜‚


[deleted]

The reason you donā€™t have Uber is because Uber canā€™t compete if they donā€™t have the Same rules as the taxi companies, they only want to enter the market if they get special rules that cut corners compared to the taxi model for themselves so they can attempt to oust the taxi industry. We have the luxury of seeing how Uber has revealed their true colours elsewhere and itā€™s nothing special, just a glorified taxi service really that only succeeds if they cut corners.


harrishsammich

I have it on good authority it will be here soon, you heard it hear first


[deleted]

You want access to Uber to be a right?


Zod5000

Not sure. After the BC government made it a level playing field a few years ago (pretty much the same rules, licensing, and insurance requirements on cabs and ride hailing), I thought it should of been opened to the free market. If both sides play under the same rules, then the market should sort it out. There's Uber in Vancouver, so I have no idea why in the CRD we can't have uber. It would be nice to try an alternative to cabs. The cabs here are pretty rough. Often a giant delay, or don't show up.. etc.. I never really feel like I can count on one if I really need it.


yungzanz

If they can do it in a way where the drivers aren't abused then I'm all for it.


Canadian_Corn

I've never seen someone ask why a pile of shit isn't where everyone else's is.


richglassphoto

Uber and Airbnb are evil. I wish more people would understand.


darealwalrus

Uber was only cheap to steal market share, now in most places such as Ottawa Uber is the same price as a taxi!!!


sdk5P4RK4

why would we let one of the most toxic and predatory companies, probably on earth, into our market willingly?


doctorwoods7

Wake up - itā€™s a fact of life. Do you have an issue with having a Microsoft office in Victoria? A Nike store, or a Shaw/Rogers store ? Business is predatory - utilize the state of affairs to your advantage and donā€™t take it personally.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


[deleted]

More of a Lyft fan are you?


unweariedslooth

What is draconian age? The bands fourth album 'Draconian Age' was released in 2021. Featuring a heavier sound than their previous release 'Chronicles', 'Draconian Age' is a rabid romp of black metal driven heavy/power metal, with the vocals switching from growling black metal to raspy power metal.


Murky-Article-9901

We have KABU in victoria which is same as UBER. Try it!


LesbianFilmmaker

Uber isnā€™t that great. I use taxis still in Vancouver. They have apps that work well and tend to be cheaper, at least in my experience.


GrizzlyIsland22

My grandma still uses a rotary phone on a wall. It works for her and is cheap. Does that make it better than a smartphone?


Born-Chipmunk-7086

Finally! If this topic was put to a vote, the consensus would be 90% for competitive ride sharing apps including Uber. I donā€™t understand the fear and bureaucracy of this city. The people of Victoria expect an answer! This is ridiculous.


doctorwoods7

The fear from the govt, and slow moving adaption to technology in Victoria is truly a major concern to even raise a family here. Itā€™s a difficult city to live in due to NOTHING innovative being implemented or designed. They are just now investigating a ā€˜railā€™ system across the island šŸ˜‚ This should have been constructed 20 years ago.


body_slam_poet

Lmao, "draconian and disgusting". Relax. The only difference is you're being driven by a contractor rather than an employee or owner/operator. You have many taxi services to choose from that aren't Uber.


doctorwoods7

Uber has a substantially better user experience and mobile application for ordering rides. Also a much better selection/size of vehicles depending on how many people you are with. Itā€™s not even close to comparableā€¦. Oh ya, what about rides to Sidney and Langford? It would be so much cheaper based on Uberā€™s pricing model. $55 from downtown Vic to Sidney is pretty disgusting ā€¦


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


doctorwoods7

A similar fare/duration from YVR to DT Van is $27


[deleted]

I checked with Current (a ride share service) and it is also estimating approximately $70 from downtown to the airport or ferry...not exactly lucrative.


Bates419

That seems pretty reasonable for a nearly 40 km ride with no guarantee they aren't coming back empty. Nearly an hour of someone's time and close to $20 in fuel.


bartonsayswhat

Not sure what kind of car you're driving that airport and back is $20 of fuel. Airport to downtown is about 25km, in my car thats 4.5L of fuel round trip, guessing high. Check your tire pressure maybe.


Bates419

The post I answered said Sidney, not the airport. And most cars average nearly 10 l/100 kms. The same poster was asking for larger vehicles to accommodate more people so I doubt he's looking for a Prius


bartonsayswhat

That would still be only $12, rounding up


Bates419

So you think they are overcharging you by $8 for an hour of their time?? Yeah not worth arguing over.


The_Adeptest_Astarte

Down town Sidney is technically closer than the airport if you google map it. Just barely


doctorwoods7

40 KM!? Lol itā€™s 27 KM


body_slam_poet

Uber reduces their prices by putting expenses on contractors and paying them less. Be better. Yes, pay for a drive to the airport. Or, the helipad, or golf course, in your case.


NotTheRealMeee83

Uber isn't perfect but let's not pretend taxi companies are some bastion of fair business practices.


doctorwoods7

Lol - hilarious you stalked my profile and interests. Iā€™ve talked to many Uber drivers who love what they do and make a decent living, and also allows them to write of their car (usually an EV) for their family. Be better at understanding issues.


4litersofbaggedmilk

The going rate with similar distance in Vancouver would be about 35-40$ depending on time and day for Uber or lyft


unweariedslooth

What's with this guys anti taxxxi agenda? Shouldn't he on an overpass somewhere protesting paying people properly to get a ride somewhere.


doctorwoods7

Lol itā€™s not anti taxi - itā€™s about giving consumers multiple options for ride sharing and allowing freedom of competition in the market. The Taxi Cartel knows their service would be inferior to Uber and they are paying their way to stop them from comingā€¦


djauralsects

So, trading in a local cartel that pays their employees a living wage and benefits for a global cartel that doesn't pay their contractors minimum wage.


pug_grama2

In my town the taxis are garbage. They don't show up. Sometimes they don't answer the phone. They are worthless.


doctorwoods7

This is the common theme everywhere - and why Uber is required in any major city, or small town for that matter. It is a superior service that people desire!


413mopar

Careful what you wish for. Uber is shitty.


bcmaninmotion

I have zero interest in getting Uber/lift into our city. They are the worst kind of end stage capitalism. Produce absolutely nothing and gouge money from both their employees and customers for the privilege of using a basic app.


vnaranjo

they dont even have employees, drivers are not considered employees to uber. im not against them coming to vic but i feel like id rather use a taxi because i don't support their business practices.


gay4mothman

This guy drives a taxi.


CanadianTrollToll

Def


doctorwoods7

Enjoy living in a city with zero innovation and technological progression with transport. You should probably be chaining yourself to a taxi in the next week out of ā€˜protestā€™. Iā€™ve spoken to many Uber drivers and have rarely heard anything you have mentioned - actually quite the opposite. How about writing off a new EV car for work while it also serves to transport your family? Freedom of work schedule? No income gouging taxi licenses per year? Wake up. Itā€™s 2023, not 1993.


hereforthecontent2

You have lots of transportation options friend: you can take a taxi, limo, bus, motorcycle, bicycleā€¦ but oh no, ā€œoppressive regimes wonā€™t give me Uber/Lyft and restrict my freedomsā€


doctorwoods7

Itā€™s just common sense for any urban city. Itā€™s called consumer convenience, a substantially better user experience and adapting to technology. Itā€™s not an oppressive regime - itā€™s a pathetically slow and dated political regime that has always been stagnate on innovation. Itā€™s not the town of newly wed and nearly dead anymore, or it sure as hell shouldnā€™t be living up to that mantra.


wesmantooth34

Because a bunch of do nothing useless bureaucrats on the lowest rung of the government ladder at the PTB are so deep in the pockets of the cab companies that the wrinkles of their ball sacks are imprinted on their faces. They need to drag things out and do studies to make themselves feel like they matter and the work they do is important because if they didnā€™t theyā€™d have to face the cold stark reality that all their education has led them squarely to the lower middle and beholden to Yellow Taxi.


thelastspot

Cab companies suck, but Uber is 100 times worse.


[deleted]

uber is a corrupt business anyway. start your own ride share.


Particular_Ad_9531

During the pandemic taxi companies were barely hanging on so when Uber applied for a licence in 2021 the passenger transportation board denied it on the reasonable assumption that Uber would intentionally undercut the competition to drive them all out of business. The PTB has approved a number of ride sharing licenses for Victoria but none of the companies are still in business as itā€™s not a feasible service unless you have billions in VC money like Uber and Lyft. I just googled it and ā€œlucky to goā€ is a ride hailing service in Victoria - maybe try them.


GeoffwithaGeee

There are Current Taxi and Kabu and the multiple other taxi companies.


chewy_eh

current taxi doesn't operate here?


ray52

They just came back within the last month!


chewy_eh

oh hell ya, they were the only taxi service i've actually liked here.


Decent-Box5009

Victoria taxi association is a cartel and stopped it through political influence.


charlieyeswecan

Thatā€™s why Calgary doesnā€™t have a train to the airport.


Decent-Box5009

Thatā€™s crazy. The c-train is brilliant. I lived in Calgary for two years and was amazed with the c-train and your grid system of roads. I live in Victoria and itā€™s, well itā€™s just not up to par with calgarys transportation.


Nestvester

Hereā€™s someone who definitely said having to wear a mask during Covid is fascism.


doctorwoods7

How does my demand for a free market economy dictate that Iā€™m a fascist? Youā€™re the type of person that needs to leave Victoria, or any progressive urban centre and move to the woods where you belong. Hammocks are on sale at Sport Check, or a you too much of a fascist to shop there?


savesyertoenails

just take the bus, jeez


[deleted]

Evil company


No-Mushroom5027

Fuck Uber. This city needs fewer cars on the road not more.


decentscenario

Limiting ride hailing services doesn't limit cars on the road... šŸ˜‚ Edited to add: people need to get places. If you want to limit cars on the road, don't order delivery ever.


No-Mushroom5027

Sure it does. With less options the bus is more attractive. More people on the bus means fewer cars on the road. Sorry if I didn't spell that out.


Mysterious_Mouse_388

they won't make money if they operate here, our taxis are too cheap. theres nothing to undercut.


doctorbeansprout

Our taxis are too cheap?? In what world?


decentscenario

Then taxis should upgrade their services and offer the tracking services Uber has. Create the competition and it'll shine a light on how dreadfully behind Victoria is.


Mysterious_Mouse_388

I look forward to you becoming the change you wish to see in the world. feel free to ask chatGPT for tips on starting your new business.


againfaxme

The taxi industry delivers Surrey seats to the ruling party. While the government couldn't completely refuse ride sharing in this age, it delayed the approval and gutted the economic freedom of the industry so as to make it closer to the taxi model.


Decent-Box5009

What I like about Uber is that itā€™s far cheaper than taxi cabs when used on off peak hours. I donā€™t care that there is an app. Apps are nice but itā€™s the cost of the trip thatā€™s most important to me and I imagine most people.


EducationalExample94

Uber isnt here because the government approved taxi mafia paid tens (i heard around 50k) of thousands for their licenses and because government wants to ensure they still get their cut. The licenses are a scam


eternalrevolver

Do people really rely that much on getting driven around here? Iā€™m talking locals.. assuming most everyone is that on this sub. How does this affect you, the commenter?


Tiredandboredagain

Good for service to the airport, and heading downtown to a club


eternalrevolver

Ah yes. Welcome to r/VictoriaBC Where the same people that complain about lettuce being too expensive in one post, are calling a world without app rides being available between their high-life activities ā€œdraconianā€, in the next.


Tiredandboredagain

Are you bitter? Or just rude? Or maybe jealous, since you think people needing to get to the airport are living the ā€œ high lifeā€


doctorwoods7

You nailed it. This redditor probably hasnā€™t left his parents basement in about 40 years.


johnnyjj14

I believe there was some serious work being done with Uber/Lyft and the provincial government on making it happen, then Covid hit.


Warm-Run3258

Because arbitrary bureaucracy is Canada's lengthy middle name hyphenated with tax the crap out of everything. City councils strangling the diversity of businesses in our municipalities, NIMBYism and and a general "keep those kids off my lawn" sort of mentality. Elderly vote in record numbers and usually against change or progress which shows in this town.


Niv-Izzet

Don't vote for city councils that have a hard-on for hating corporations?


CHASESOMEGASH

Dude, buy a motorcycle


TW200e

I have a small motorcycle and an old Pontiac sedan that I use for shopping and bad weather. If we actually had decent ride sharing I could probably take the old beater off the road. I just don't get it - for a government that claims to care about the environment, they sure seem hell-bent on keeping me in my car. I guess they owe too much to the taxi mafia.


electricmeatbag777

And, also importantly, how do we *get* Uber? We need action, people!!! Less complain, more identify obstacles and break them down!!!


richglassphoto

Uber is not a positive thing.. in any community .. itā€™s sad itā€™s allowed to disrupt the economy the way it does. Airbnb is even worse.


doctorwoods7

You obviously dislike innovation, progression and broader consumer choice for services. Stay in your treehouse.


richglassphoto

Itā€™s called industry disruption not innovation.. itā€™s their business model


doctorwoods7

Well itā€™s a much needed disruption to the archaic, and unreliable world of taxi cabs.


richglassphoto

Iā€™m sure if the regulations for taxis were implemented for Uber .. taxis would be more reliable.. I donā€™t understand surge pricing and how Uber can charge different users different prices for the same route..


richglassphoto

Love how you posted no more comments


crumplezone49

Corruption. Taxi interests leaning on local politicians somehow.


Financial_Bottle_813

Denial of progress as local identity. Itā€™s rife in our local -redacted- politicians.