Thursday 31 December 2015

Uber news recap - December 2015


Behind the wheel with Uber in Bogota
A few highlights from the world of Uber news in December:

Worried it will be hard to identify the Uber car picking you up? What if others are waiting for Uber cars too? It turns out there's now an app for that: the new Uber SPOT:
Criticism of Uber's surge pricing (aka 'dynamic pricing') hit a new low (or is that high?) with the story of a former happy Uber customer's experience visiting Grand Rapids. Unable to get a taxi after a game with his buddies, the Uber advocate boasted how fast and affordable the service was. After a car quickly arrived, he asked what the fare would be, and the driver said he didn't know. He got quite a shock after the relatively short drive.
Toronto taxi drivers still don't get it. Just a week after the Canadian Competition Bureau called for a level playing field in the taxi vs Uber debate, Toronto taxi drivers staged a hunger strike. Then they went onto mass strike actions that only caused Torontonians and visitors alike crave the alternative.
What if you want to drive for Uber, but don't have a car? The answer just got easier, if you live in Denver:
Of course, a little ridesharing seasonal cheer:
And on the global stage:
Other headlines:

Related resources
Dear Canadian Taxi Monopoly: your Uber Boogie Man doesn't scare me
Taxi Truths campaign puts lipstick on a pig 
Canadian Taxi Monopoly is attempting to curb consumer choice
Uber provides the taxi industry a good kick in the pants

Thursday 24 December 2015

Christmas taxis

Taxistas viram Papai Noel em São Paulo
Ho ho ho!
Merry Christmas!

Wishing you and your family a happy and safe holiday season.

And, yes, that wish includes taxi drivers:)

Related resources

creative commons image, click for source information

Monday 7 December 2015

Tijuana Airport's new Cross Border Xpress (CBX) terminal

Tijuana Airport's new CBX terminal opens
 in San Diego on December 9, 2015
For the past 2 years, San Diego residents have watched a new building take shape next to the USA/Mexican border, complete with an overhead walkway. It's a new portal, of sorts, into Mexico.

When the new Tijuana Airport Cross Border Xpress terminal (CBX) opens on December 9, 2015, making it the only airport in the world to have terminals in two countries.

 "CBX", situated in San Diego, California, USA, is connected to Tijuana International Airport's Terminal 1 by a passenger foot bridge. Eligible passengers will pay USD 18 for access to the 525 foot bridge.

The Terminal 2 building will serve as a check-in and processing facility for departing passengers only, with its own parking and customs offices. There are no gates or arrival facilities. The structural scheme of CBX is intended to allow greater access to flights out of Tijuana Airport for both domestic and international air carriers.

The design of the joint binational Terminal 2 is the work of late Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta.

Related resources
Cross-border airport? New California terminal extends to Mexico
Tijuana International Airport (TIJ) transportation guide
San Diego International Airport (SAN) transportation guide


Tuesday 1 December 2015

Uber news recap - November 2015

UBER 4U
creativecommons image afagen on Flickr
Here's a bit of what was happening in the Uber vs taxi war in November.

Canada’s Competition Bureau calls for modernized taxi rules 

 Canada Competition Bureau wants to see a level playing field for taxis and ridesharing services, such as Uber. Commissioner John Pecman has called on regulators to ease price controls, eliminate taxi plate restrictions, permit street hail pick-ups, and provide incentives for accessible vehicles:

The hoopla over surge pricing

Another Halloween, another uproar over Uber's surge pricing. No one much likes it, except perhaps the drivers, but it seems this aspect of the Uber business model is here to stay.

What? Taxis drop their fares to compete with Uber?

How revolutionary: taxi meters in Toronto have been reprogrammed with lower base fares in an attempt to compete with ridesharing services. While surely welcomed by passengers, it may also be annoying to realize that one has been paying inflated rates, along with all the rumbling...

How ridesharing is making a difference

While the Western world argues the merits of ridesharing services, and pours energy into stopping the organic growth that users are seeking, it's a good news story elsewhere in the world. Take India...

Related resources
Dear Canadian Taxi Monopoly: your Uber Boogie Man doesn't scare me
Taxi Truths campaign puts lipstick on a pig 
Canadian Taxi Monopoly is attempting to curb consumer choice
Uber provides the taxi industry a good kick in the pants