Uber in Edmonton

KEVIN MAIMANN, EDMONTON SUN



An Uber driver raved about his new job when he picked me up in a minivan for a short afternoon ride through the Old Strathcona area.

The former taxi driver said he was forced into gruelling 12-hour shifts to make ends meet until he recently hooked up with the rideshare company.

“Now I can work anytime I want,” he said.

No more 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. shifts in a car owned by his bosses.

But would Uber pay his bills? In his third day on the job, it was too early to say.

I paid $9.40 for the lift, slightly less than what it would likely cost from Yellow Cab, Checker or Co-Op Taxi.

Shortly after that ride, Uber announced it would stop charging for rides to comply with city bylaws.

Getting in the Valentines Day spirit & showing our partner @kierL some LOVE with gift cards and goodies. Uber-on YEG! pic.twitter.com/Ogqb94ZKzK — Uber_EDMONTON (@Uber_EDMONTON) February 12, 2015

I later ordered a free Uber ride at 11 p.m. on a Friday through the smartphone app, which pinpoints your location and shows you who is nearby and how long it will take them to arrive.

No waiting on hold with a taxi company for the vague promise that your car will show up somewhere between “right away and an hour.”

The driver had a 4.9 out of 5 Star user rating. Uber drivers are required to uphold a high average to keep their gig.

I’ve had rude cab drivers who dragged rides out too long, or turned me away because they did not want to drive to my destination, and always felt there was no recourse. Having the driver’s first name and vehicle make and model on record offers a sense of accountability.

When I saw that a driver was one minute away, I ordered by pressing my thumb to the screen of my phone. Before I had a chance to put a jacket on, he had arrived.

The friendly driver let me pick the radio station and said he hoped Uber could charge fares again soon, insisting the city’s current vehicle-for-hire bylaws are outdated.

I chose 2 a.m. — last call at the bars, and one of the hardest times to get a taxi — to order Uber for my ride home. I was seven blocks north of Jasper Avenue.

To my surprise, several cars were available. The first arrived too quickly and left before I made it outside. A message on my phone stated the driver had cancelled.

My first negative Uber experience was quickly forgotten when I got a second car in one minute.

To be fair, I’ve heard from people who have not been able to get Uber at peak hours. As one driver said, much of it is “luck of the draw.”

NO COMPANY LOGO

Because Uber cars do not bear a company logo, at least they will not get hailed by somebody else on the way and bail without notice — a common occurrence with taxis.

When we arrived at my house, I was surprised when a screen on the driver’s dash popped up with the words, “Rate Kevin.”

I felt uneasy, having been unaware I was rated. I’m sure I did fine, but what if I were dressed in a way that made a certain driver feel uncomfortable? Would he give me a low rating because of it?

Or couldn’t some racist idiot in the back seat dole out a one-star rating for a driver who was skilled and courteous but had a thick accent?

Despite the concern for potential discrimination with independent contractors, frequent taxi users will tell you cab companies don’t always live up to their claim of treating all passengers equally.

I feel for taxi drivers. Most are fair and many are friendly, even fun to ride with, despite having to put up with often brutal hours and unruly or abusive customers. They pay heavy dues to the city and their own companies while the system they operate under is inefficient and frustrating for riders. Now they’re losing business to a new crop of drivers who don’t have to pay the same bills.

But the customer should have the freedom to take risks.

Our city’s public transit is woefully inadequate and until that changes, the market will have to fill that void. ​​

CLAIRE THEOBALD, EDMONTON SUN



It was a typically cold December night when I heard that all too familiar sound, the three beeps echoing through my phone telling me that all lines through to city taxi dispatchers were busy.

Once again, after thinking I could rely on catching a cab home after a night out with friends, I found myself stranded.

I had two choices, either pull out a blanket and set up camp on my host’s sofa, or take a chance on Uber.

Within minutes of downloading the app, I had a warm car with a smiling driver waiting outside to give me a lift home.

The older model Ford Windstar may not have been the most fashionable choice, but it was spotlessly clean and the driver — though not too familiar with some of the best routes through the city — seemed eager to impress on his first few days on the job.

Now, Uber has become my first choice.

NOT SO DIFFERENT

Having taken multiple traditional cabs and Uber rides since, I can honestly say the in-car experience is largely the same. I find myself giving turn-by-turn directions to most of the drivers I’ve met, so doing the same for a new Uber driver doesn’t stand out as unusual. And the cost estimates seem to be in line with what I would pay in any other taxi.

The big difference for me is all in the convenience of the app.

Not only does live-tracking make it more convenient — rather than waiting at the door for anywhere between “right now” and a few hours, I can watch the app and know just how long it will take for my driver to arrive — it makes me feel infinitely safer.

As a woman often taking cabs late at night alone, I have never really felt safe, and have personally had a few bad experiences — though those remain a minority.

At the end of the day, no matter what sticker they put on the door, you are getting into a car with a stranger.

But with Uber, the driver’s information is recorded and my trip from start to finish is tracked in real time, meaning I don’t have to rely on writing down the correct information displayed on a cab driver’s dashboard should I run into trouble.

FEELS SAFE

Prior to Uber, my friends and I had a “text when you get there” policy, a crude but effective way of ensuring everyone got home safe. Using the app, friends can now track my progress in real time, giving them the chance to intervene should something seem amiss.

As well, as both Uber drivers and riders are rated, there is the opportunity for real recourse should either a driver or a patron cause trouble.

While there still are some security concerns, including the yet untested insurance policies held by Uber drivers, I personally feel a lot safer knowing that “big brother” is watching.

Is Uber the answer to all of our cab woes? That remains to be seen, but I think there is room in Edmonton’s market for both to work side-by-side peacefully.

As the debate rages on, I hope policy makers and taxi companies take the opportunity to make positive changes to what has become an outdated taxi system that isn’t working for drivers or customers.

Until then, before I call for a cab, I’ll be checking the Uber app.

@ClaireTheobald

claire.theobald@sunmedia.ca