Uber coming to LV?

This is great news if it happens. Uber is so easy and reliable to use. Would make the cabbies step up their game and lower their prices.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/transportation-insider/uber-eyeing-vegas-and-cab-companies-not-happy

 

I live in DC, and having Uber X is really amazing. It's like 30% less than a cab ride of similar length. You can also use the regular Uber, which is like a Town Car, and that's only a slight premium over a cab ride. They also have SUV's in case your party is four or more, and you can divide up the costs if multiple people in the car have an Uber account. Great stuff. The only thing is, you have to know where you're going, because the drivers aren't always as knowledgeable about a given city as the cabbies are. But other than that, Uber is WAY better.

 

Uber is awesome. Welcome in any city, if you ask me.

 

We just got it in Manchester, UK and I had a chat with the driver and he told me a few things.

1) Prices are cheaper but unless they up them soon the drivers will go elsewhere.
2) Rent for equipment is cheaper now but might go up
3) Drivers are guaranteed the equivalent of $16 an hour here for the first few weeks
4) The drivers don't have to worry about people skipping the fare and because people have to register they know who you are and how to find you if anything bad happens.

The concept is great, but what I found was that there are no cabs to be found at busy periods, which is when I want one.

I hope these are all teething problems here as the concept is fantastic and will hopefully revolutionise the cab market worldwide.

 

The problem with uber in Vegas is going to be that it's always going to be in surge pricing, which reduces the cost advantage. The Vegas cab industry is so much better than many anyways. Here in Atlanta it is dreadful. Uber is fantastic for places like that. Vegas, who knows.

 

To be fair, outside of the strip and downtown cab service is terrible in Vegas. My friends live by South Point, behind the Flamingo and various other places and you never see a taxi and they take forever to arrive.

 

If Uber can start in DC than Vegas shouldn't be an issue when it comes to the Taxi Authorities.

 

Good point. I have an Uber account and use it sometimes, not as often as others I know because I find its usually faster to just jump in a yellow cab here anyway. Which is why I wondered if it would be that useful in Vegas when there is always a cab right outside your door. But its easy to forget the Vegas metro area has a population of 2 million people, which is probably bigger than many other Uber cities.

 

i doubt uber would do very well. First they subcontract out and alot of places dont want to meet their demands on things. They have talked to me numerous times and i think that eventually they will be here, but they really need to either buy a company here or find a company that is not doing so well to team up with. just my opinion.

 

LV Limo, I think that any competition to the taxicab lobby is a good thing. The fact that no viable light rail or other non-surface street mass transit in a community like Las Vegas is 100% due to the stranglehold the cab companies have on local government.

 

uber has been advertising for independent contractors for over a year now. I like the idea of a worldwide booking but taxi authority wont issue them a license so they will have to find a company to partner with.

 

I do think Uber would have a harder time in LV than in other cities, such as my hometown of Houston. LV taxis are about the best I've encountered. They're always there, and they know where they're going. It makes things easy. Tough to compete with when I'm never having to wait already.

 

I love uber. I'd take it to and from the airport if they ever got it working in Vegas.

I use it all the time to and from the airport in DC... and a ride around town when the metro isn't an option.

 

The don't need a license. That's the whole idea. It's ride sharing. Not a taxi cab or a livery service. That's how they get around things in every state, city.

The taxi drivers in and around DC absolutely hate Uber. The smart ones have quit and moved on to driving for Uber though. The relics that can't/won't quit are really suffering because of it.

Will the need for cabs disappear around here? I can't imagine that ever being the case. But, now that there's actually competition, the marketplace is changing for the better. The drivers are feeling it now, but as more and more of them leave the environment for drivers will eventually get better.

 

Uber and a similar company both opened in this area (Omaha) a few weeks ago. The powers that be are threatening to shut them down and impound any vehicle charging for a ride.

There's been nothing on it in the last week or so, so I really don't know what the status is.

Would something like this really work in the Strip area?

 

They absolutely would need a license. The state of Nevada is the hardest place to get licensing for transportation of passengers. The company that did the designated driver program got shut down cause they were using personal vehicles to transport drunk people while another person drove the person car. The horse and buggy got shot down , even the rikshaws(if thats how it is spelt).

 

Personally, I think it will work in Vegas. There's a lot of young and tech savvy people in Vegas, who are either there for business or pleasure. Since most of them know or heard about Uber, I think Uber will do pretty well, especially if they offer competitive fixed prices between the airport and the Strip casinos.

 

This is akin to saying that friends can't transport other friends without a taxi license. Ride sharing is just like that. No money changes hands between the driver and passenger. Just like one friend giving a ride to another friend.

 

So, would they be able to stage/circle/hold in the vicinity of the airport so you don't have to wait forever?

 

I pull up the uber app as soon as I get off the plane. There are always drivers in the area and it never takes more than 5 minutes until they're there to pick me up. Just enough time for me to get down to the curb.

They give me a call and I tell them exactly where to meet me. Much like you'd do with your family or friends who come to pick you up.