Ride Hailing: Uber and Lyft Approved to Operate, Judge Refuses to Grant Injunction In Taxi Lawsuit

[Ghostsof1915]

I'll ride transit, before I ride uber. 

 

No different than Taxi companies. Except Uber and Lyft drivers will get slave wages, while the company makes all the money. 

 

Two wrongs don't make a right. 

[SabreFan1]

1 hour ago, Ghostsof1915 said:

I'll ride transit, before I ride uber. 

 

No different than Taxi companies. Except Uber and Lyft drivers will get slave wages, while the company makes all the money. 

 

Two wrongs don't make a right. 

The drivers make more money than the companies.  Both Uber and Lyft are unprofitable.  The rug is eventually going to be pulled out from under them when investors are tired of losing money and there's a mass sell off of shares. 

 

I will never invest in a ride-sharing company.  I like my money too much to just p*ss it away like that.

[khay]

11 hours ago, DonLever said:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-taxi-ride-hailing-reaction-1.5254029

 

As ride-hailing vehicles prepare to hit B.C. streets, the Vancouver Taxi Association is voicing concerns about the new rules released Monday by the Passenger Transportation Board.

On Monday, the Passenger Transportation Board announced there will be no initial limits on fleet size for ride-hailing companies, but a cap could be imposed later if congestion becomes an issue. 

 

Board chair Catherine Read also said the minimum rate a transportation network service may charge will be equivalent to the taxi base rate, but price surging will be allowed.

 

Ride-hailing companies will also have larger operating areas, unlike taxi companies in the Lower Mainland, which have geographic restrictions on which passengers they can serve based on which municipality they belong to. 

 

Carolyn Bauer, a spokesperson for the Vancouver Taxi Association and a general manager at Yellow Cab, said the new rules are "clearly not in the interest of the public at all."

 

"We feel that this is bad public policy," Bauer said. 

"Clearly not in the interest of the public at all?"

 

Did they explain why they think that way? It sounds like it provides more options for the people and therefore, is in the interest of the public. 

 

[khay]

2 hours ago, SabreFan1 said:

The drivers make more money than the companies.  Both Uber and Lyft are unprofitable.  The rug is eventually going to be pulled out from under them when investors are tired of losing money and there's a mass sell off of shares. 

 

I will never invest in a ride-sharing company.  I like my money too much to just p*ss it away like that.

Unless self driving really reaches to the level where cars can be deployed on the street. Then, the drivers will be making 0 dollars and company will rake in profit. The stock for Uber and Lyft will skyrocket.

 

I personally think the self driving is still few years away if it ever happens, maybe not soon enough before the sell off begins. Yeah, I would be wary of buying Uber shares too. But there is definitely an upside to these stocks, high risk high gain I guess.

 

[Kragar]

53 minutes ago, khay said:

Unless self driving really reaches to the level where cars can be deployed on the street. Then, the drivers will be making 0 dollars and company will rake in profit. The stock for Uber and Lyft will skyrocket.

 

I personally think the self driving is still few years away if it ever happens, maybe not soon enough before the sell off begins. Yeah, I would be wary of buying Uber shares too. But there is definitely an upside to these stocks, high risk high gain I guess.

 

I dunno about their profits skyrocketing once self-driving is common. Right now, all they have is their software, and revenue generated by their drivers.

 

When self-driving is used, the companies will need to invest in the cars, storage, clean up, and maintenance of the vehicles.  they are not responsible for those at this time.  That will be a huge outlay and ongoing expense that I struggle to see them handling and still remain competitive.

[khay]

18 minutes ago, Kragar said:

I dunno about their profits skyrocketing once self-driving is common. Right now, all they have is their software, and revenue generated by their drivers.

 

When self-driving is used, the companies will need to invest in the cars, storage, clean up, and maintenance of the vehicles.  they are not responsible for those at this time.  That will be a huge outlay and ongoing expense that I struggle to see them handling and still remain competitive.

You are right about that. I assume that purchase of cars and storage would be a fixed cost, much like car rental companies need to purchase and store their cars. But maintenance of the vehicles could be quite costly as they would need to hire people for that. I guess they may be able to bring the cost down by striking a partnership with car manufacturers (purchase x amounts of cars, and the manufacturer provides maintenance at discounted prices for example).

 

I guess if the drivers can make money from what they earn now (to pay for maintenance, gas, and etc) then so can Uber if and when they put the self driving cars on the road. Right now, Uber just has their platform and that's not enough for them to turn profit. But from I understand, they are investing quite a bit of money in self driving as they see it as a viable way to turn profit.

 

[mpt]

Awww, company’s are complaining about competition as their price fixing scheme is being challenged.  Don’t worry, socialist Vancouver will intervene and regulate us even more.

[PhillipBlunt]

13 hours ago, Jimmy McGill said:

meh, every industry has had to deal with technology forcing change. The cab industry has been terrible for years in Vancouver and its left room for an appetite for better service. 

Exactly. Adjust and adapt....or die!

[jimmyking8888]

13 hours ago, debluvscanucks said:

Seems they (many cab drivers) protest rules, period.  I remember them having a Monopoly on parking spots in the lot beside the skytrain.  Got glares from them many times as I pulled in there to wait for my kids.   They were a hazard as they sped in and out, often at the risk of pedestrians trying to get to the bus stop across the way.

 

Also....when I ran a lottery booth for a period of time some of the seniors liked to come up for "a visit" as much as anything.  It was often their only form of entertainment and human interaction.  One woman, in particular, lived about a mile up the road in an apartment on her own.  Taxis stopped picking her up because they told her it took too long to load her stuff and she wasn't going far enough.  She was forced to bus and didn't come out nearly as often after that. 

 

Sorry, no sympathy from me - deal with it.  No job is guaranteed forever and it's just like the real estate agents whining about the measures being put into place to deter speculation and flipping.  It was good while it lasted...so count your blessings.

A little healthy competition is good for customers.

What you said is so true, too many whiner in this world.   All people do is complain, they hope the government can solve problems for them. good luck. 

[jimmyking8888]

2 hours ago, khay said:

Unless self driving really reaches to the level where cars can be deployed on the street. Then, the drivers will be making 0 dollars and company will rake in profit. The stock for Uber and Lyft will skyrocket.

 

I personally think the self driving is still few years away if it ever happens, maybe not soon enough before the sell off begins. Yeah, I would be wary of buying Uber shares too. But there is definitely an upside to these stocks, high risk high gain I guess.

 

It would be fun to see cop pull over self driving cars.    "Sir please put down your windsheild,  God damn it, why are you not yielding to ambulence. I want to give you a ticket for speeding and not yielding to police."  Self driving car says: " please call 1 800 complain"    Cop:" I need back up.  We need to block off Main and Terminal.  A self driving vehicle is trying to leave without my permission" 

[Violator]

6 hours ago, SabreFan1 said:

The drivers make more money than the companies.  Both Uber and Lyft are unprofitable.  The rug is eventually going to be pulled out from under them when investors are tired of losing money and there's a mass sell off of shares. 

 

I will never invest in a ride-sharing company.  I like my money too much to just p*ss it away like that.

Both uber and lyft are technology companies.Drivers for either company should realize employment wont last long.

[Kragar]

2 hours ago, khay said:

You are right about that. I assume that purchase of cars and storage would be a fixed cost, much like car rental companies need to purchase and store their cars. But maintenance of the vehicles could be quite costly as they would need to hire people for that. I guess they may be able to bring the cost down by striking a partnership with car manufacturers (purchase x amounts of cars, and the manufacturer provides maintenance at discounted prices for example).

 

I guess if the drivers can make money from what they earn now (to pay for maintenance, gas, and etc) then so can Uber if and when they put the self driving cars on the road. Right now, Uber just has their platform and that's not enough for them to turn profit. But from I understand, they are investing quite a bit of money in self driving as they see it as a viable way to turn profit.

 

From what I hear from a couple friends who have done it, plus a number of articles on the internet, it's not all that lucrative for the drivers.  Many now are earning about minimum wage.  I'm guessing that is after they pay for gas, but not so sure about maintenance, insurance and any loan costs. 

 

Your comment about maintenance agreements is likely right on the money.  And, I agree with you about them seeking self-driving cars for their business model.  I just dont see their model as viable.

 

Of course, that is based on the assumption that driver's pay, when calculated to be around minimum wage, doesn't include maintenance.  They are trying hard, and expanding their offerings. But I don't see the appeal investing there, and I sure don't want to drive for them, now that I know better.

 

Time will tell, and I look forward to them getting into Vancouver, so I have that option when I travel back home

[aGENT]

Hey Taxi Association:

 

[khay]

2 hours ago, jimmyking8888 said:

It would be fun to see cop pull over self driving cars.    "Sir please put down your windsheild,  God damn it, why are you not yielding to ambulence. I want to give you a ticket for speeding and not yielding to police."  Self driving car says: " please call 1 800 complain"    Cop:" I need back up.  We need to block off Main and Terminal.  A self driving vehicle is trying to leave without my permission" 

I know it's a joke but it does raise a question as to how to handle such a case. I guess the ticket should go to Uber for developing a malfunctioning AI driver (one that doesn't yield to an ambulence). 

[Nuck1991]

they can suck it. Damn the govt too. Uber and lyft are much better and drivers i have met so far are very nice. These taxi drivers are rude. 

The govt needs to look at bigger picture. Taxi driver make up like 0.0001% of total population of BC prob. Govt needs to take care of the rest 99 percent and help us in any way possible. Taxis have ripped us off for years. Let there be change. People want change. I cant afford to pay for a taxi everyday and wait for 20 to 30mins for a cab to show up, only if they want the trip.

[inane]

14 minutes ago, Nuck1991 said:

they can suck it. Damn the govt too. Uber and lyft are much better and drivers i have met so far are very nice. These taxi drivers are rude. 

The govt needs to look at bigger picture. Taxi driver make up like 0.0001% of total population of BC prob. Govt needs to take care of the rest 99 percent and help us in any way possible. Taxis have ripped us off for years. Let there be change. People want change. I cant afford to pay for a taxi everyday and wait for 20 to 30mins for a cab to show up, only if they want the trip.

Why would you take a taxi every day. 

 

 

[kingofsurrey]

When is the protest..... It would be great if counter protestors could all arrive by Uber.....

 

Maybe taxi drivers should reach out to VHS factory workers / Sony Walkman repair  staff and see if they can triple down and all protest together.....

Edited August 21, 2019 by kingofsurrey

[SabreFan1]

5 hours ago, khay said:

Unless self driving really reaches to the level where cars can be deployed on the street. Then, the drivers will be making 0 dollars and company will rake in profit. The stock for Uber and Lyft will skyrocket.

 

I personally think the self driving is still few years away if it ever happens, maybe not soon enough before the sell off begins. Yeah, I would be wary of buying Uber shares too. But there is definitely an upside to these stocks, high risk high gain I guess.

It has very little to do with self-driving cars.  Those won't have serious market penetration for quite some time.

 

Lyft shares had an underwhelming IPO and have continued sliding in the months since.  They're lucky that the initial investors aren't planning on dumping their shares as the IPO lock up expires.  

 

Uber shares also had an underwhelming IPO and are continuing to fall as well.

[khay]

5 minutes ago, SabreFan1 said:

It has very little to do with self-driving cars.  Those won't have serious market penetration for quite some time.

 

Lyft shares had an underwhelming IPO and have continued sliding in the months since.  They're lucky that the initial investors aren't planning on dumping their shares as the IPO lock up expires.  

 

Uber shares also had an underwhelming IPO and are continuing to fall as well.

If it is realized, they should be able to turn profit, so I wouldn't say it has very little to do.

 

Whether those things will be realized or not, I'm doubtful that it will happen short-term. That I agree with you.

 

I think the market knows that self driving cars are still ways away hence the underwhelming IPO.

[SabreFan1]

2 hours ago, Violator said:

Both uber and lyft are technology companies.Drivers for either company should realize employment wont last long.

There's that aspect as well as others.  Even if the market magically turned profitable tomorrow, more competition would spring up to eat away at that profitability.  The barrier to entry is relatively low and both Uber and Lyft know that.  That's why they are both burning through cash to expand as quickly as they can in order to minimize and try to box out any competition.  I just see that eventually failing.  Others will set up local and regional companies in whatever turns out to be their most profitable areas and siphon away any gains.