Why There Might Never be a “Next” Uber Service
Governmental red tape enforced by old industries might be so disruptive that companies like Uber might not survive. If Uber goes under, what’s next?
A few years ago, the popularity of Uber seemed to signal that the company was here to stay. Uber has grown so much that many cities and states have put regulations on the company — so much so that it has become nearly cost-prohibitive to hail an Uber.
The disruptive economy is defined as different start-ups that turn typical industries on their head. For example, Uber subverted the typical taxi industry, and Airbnb uprooted consumers’ ideas about hotels. These businesses, many of which let everyday people enter them without jumping through hoops, are threatening to traditional ways of doing business.
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That’s why so many local and state governments — along with taxi cab companies — have passed ordinances or rules that have limited Uber and other ride-sharing, on-demand companies. For example, in Austin, Texas, Uber and Lyft could not convince the city to stop requiring fingerprint background checks for drivers. These companies, overall, were not expecting these regulations, so they were not prepared to fight back against them.
So, as Uber loses its predominance in the marketplace, which ride-sharing services can you use to get around? The following will talk about three beloved ride-sharing apps that could replace Uber. Although Uber is still going strong for now, it may not be around forever. It makes sense to download one of these ride-sharing apps onto your phone in case you run into difficulty hailing an Uber.
- Fare
Fare is gaining in popularity because it has such fast pick-up times, even though it can charge a little more than similar ride-sharing services. While the app does have a few safety concerns, like displaying users’ actual phone numbers, it is, overall, a fine alternative to Uber. Because Uber is no longer in Austin, Fare is only there right now — but Fare will be expanding to other cities soon.
- Get Me
Get Me not only picks you up but can also pick up the things you need. That’s right, Get Me is both a ride-share and delivery app. And unlike Uber, Get Me doesn’t have a ride surge fee on busy nights, meaning that you can get home for an affordable price even on the weekends.
- Curb
Curb is an app that’s trying to get traditional taxi cabs back into the game. The service also has luxurious town cars for hire in its fleet, lets you pay in cash if you need to, and offers rides to and from the airport for less. Curb demonstrates that ride-sharing apps can teach old dogs new tricks.