Uber to Resume in Calgary December 6 2016

[PsYcNeT]

Originally Posted by Buster

Pyramid scheme? Uber might be many things, but a pyramid scheme isn't one of them.

Pyramid schemes generally require that the new entrants to the schemes are the source of capital/earnings/profit. Obviously that is not the case with Uber. Also, Uber drivers can build or consumer their own inventory.

It's a pyramid scheme in the same way franchising a Subway is. All they handle is the promotional side of things (which the franchisee pays into). You handle everything else.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

In fairness to City Hall, they did approve 383 new taxi plates about a year ago. It was a unanimous vote by the Councillors with pretty much each one of them echoing what everyone had known for years, Calgary needed more taxis. A lot more.

I think it begs the question on why it took so long. It was a 25% increase in the number of plates.

They only issued 100 of the plates, the rest were held for further study to the impacts. The city and tlac did not follow the recommendations of the report entirely.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Buster

Pyramid scheme? Uber might be many things, but a pyramid scheme isn't one of them.

Pyramid schemes generally require that the new entrants to the schemes are the source of capital/earnings/profit. Obviously that is not the case with Uber. Also, Uber drivers can build or consumer their own inventory.

New drivers reduce labour costs and increase gross earnings for the rentier at the top.

[GGG]

That's like saying any Independant contracter is in a pyramid scheme. Anyone willing to work to work for less increases the profit of the general.

Uber is definitely a race to the bottom in trying to find the least amount a minimum number of drivers will work for. But it's not a pyramid. Profits are made and lost delivering a service not building the pyramid

[Buster]

Originally Posted by peter12

New drivers reduce labour costs and increase gross earnings for the rentier at the top.

So do about a million other types of businesses. Uber provides a service to the public which does not require the input of new "associates" to maintain profit.

Don't be fooled by these types of mis-directions.

EDIT: damn your quick trigger finger GGG...lol

[heep223]

Originally Posted by peter12

New drivers reduce labour costs and increase gross earnings for the rentier at the top.

The "rentier at the top" is a corporation.

Best buy employees sell product and the company makes the money, and the employee retains their share. Stock brokers sell stock, the company makes the money and the broker retains their share. Uber is making a margin on the service they provide, while the driver keeps their share. In all of these cases the company, or "rentier at the top" as you put it, makes their margin and then the employee/contractor retains their share.

It's nothing like a pyramid scheme. Though I'm starting to think you're a cab driver

EDIT: I see I'm the slow one of the bunch.

[Fuzz]

Uber isn't a pyramid, it's a thrash concert, with Uber corporate being the band, passengers being crowd surfers, and Uber drivers getting thrashed around the mosh pit. Taxi drivers are the floor.

[Bill Bumface]

Why is there a limited number of plates?

I can see regulation for handicap transportation and sub-markets that may not be self supporting, but otherwise:

1) Have car that meets yearly inspection requirements
2) Have license that requires X regular certifications
3) Have insurance policy necessary to carry people around

Why would the city cap how many cabs there are? If you can't make money at it, you'll go out of business.

If it's tough to get fares, maybe you'll actually work at 2am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Why aren't there coffee shop licenses limiting the number of Tim Horton's or Starbucks locations? Why aren't there licenses limiting how many FedEx and UPS trucks there are?

It's ridiculous. Besides the handicap angle, I see zero reason for any requirements on the number of cabs nor a reason to regulate the price.

[Buster]

Originally Posted by Bill Bumface

Why is there a limited number of plates?

I can see regulation for handicap transportation and sub-markets that may not be self supporting, but otherwise:

1) Have car that meets yearly inspection requirements
2) Have license that requires X regular certifications
3) Have insurance policy necessary to carry people around

Why would the city cap how many cabs there are? If you can't make money at it, you'll go out of business.

If it's tough to get fares, maybe you'll actually work at 2am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Why aren't there coffee shop licenses limiting the number of Tim Horton's or Starbucks locations? Why aren't there licenses limiting how many FedEx and UPS trucks there are?

It's ridiculous. Besides the handicap angle, I see zero reason for any requirements on the number of cabs nor a reason to regulate the price.

Do people even read the TODAY's? posts from the thread?

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Bill Bumface

Why is there a limited number of plates?

I can see regulation for handicap transportation and sub-markets that may not be self supporting, but otherwise:

1) Have car that meets yearly inspection requirements
2) Have license that requires X regular certifications
3) Have insurance policy necessary to carry people around

Why would the city cap how many cabs there are? If you can't make money at it, you'll go out of business.

If it's tough to get fares, maybe you'll actually work at 2am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Why aren't there coffee shop licenses limiting the number of Tim Horton's or Starbucks locations? Why aren't there licenses limiting how many FedEx and UPS trucks there are?

It's ridiculous. Besides the handicap angle, I see zero reason for any requirements on the number of cabs nor a reason to regulate the price.

I believe the rationale is that because the taxi industry is heavily regulated, meeting those regulations require a significant expense to the taxi owners. At the same time, regulated pricing means that there is a limit to the revenue that each taxi can generate.

So, when the city implements the regulations, the taxi industry pushes back and says, the only way we can operate safely and stay in business is if we know there will be enough passengers available for each cab to generate the revenue needed to survive.

Both sides give in and the regulations are set and the number of taxi licenses is set. The city gets a safe and reliable taxi industry and the taxi drivers can meet all the regulations while still making a decent living.



Then, decades pass and the city continues to sprawl further away from the centre, and the number of licenses doesn't grow proportionally to the population of the city, and we end up in the situation we're at now. Meanwhile, the people who drew up the original bylaw are likely long retired.


The sins of the father are to be laid upon the children.

[cam_wmh]

What sorts of checks and balances does the Taxi Commission provide to the city?

I mean driver penalties/suspensions/repercussions? Any transparency there?

I probably already know the answer, but surprise me.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

What sorts of checks and balances does the Taxi Commission provide to the city?

I mean driver penalties/suspensions/repercussions? Any transparency there?

I probably already know the answer, but surprise me.

Here's the full Livery Transport bylaw: http://www.calgary.ca/CA/city-clerks...yTransport.pdf


Enforcement information starts on page 45. The penalties for various offences starts on page 109.

[Neeper]

This sure sounds familiar!!

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/featur...es-over-a-city

[calgaryblood]

I need a uber but a larger vehicle that can handle 5 suitcases and 5 people is there an option for that?

[Dan02]

not in Calgary unfortunately,

[Regular_John]

Took an Uber home from the BMO centre tonight, as expected it was a seamless Uber experience and the driver was friendly & competent. Price was on par with a cab, perhaps slightly cheaper?

Two other observations:
- I've never seen so many available cabs outside the BMO centre on a Saturday night.
- Calgary Cab companies should be terrified.

The real kicker here being that the taxi cartel could likely recreate the software UX if they really wanted, "Need a cab, here's your driver, they're on the way!" and bill it to your credit card.

[pgsieve]

I had to use a taxi the other day for work as Uber is not approved by my employer.

Taxi was late by 25 minutes and it 4 calls to 2 different companies before I finally got my driver. I booked this an hour in advance of when I needed to get there and I almost missed an international flight as a result.

During the trip, the driver was rude, spoke on his cellphone the entire ride, and was mad when I couldn't give him cash for the $65 dollar cab as I don't usually carry $65 cash and need to put all purchases on a corporate card.

Although I'm skeptical about the insurance aspect as previously discussed, this is one of many terrible experiences I've had with cabs in Calgary. I also remember last winter when I couldn't find a cab for over half an hour at 5:00 on a work day downtown and damn near froze if it wasn't for the ctrain.

At this point I hope Uber forces the cabs and the city to provide better, more available service. I'm stuck with the taxis for work for better or worse

[HOWITZER]

Originally Posted by getbak

blahblahblahblah sprawl blahblahblahblah

Found the problem! Damn you YOP Gobblers!

[Hockey Fan #751]

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

There's clearly a lot to be addressed, insurance, driver background checks, vehicle inspections, etc. etc. but if the city was serious about those issues they could have amended the current bylaws to address those issues long before today. They didn't. Instead the current law explicitly outlaws a company like Uber operating in Calgary under any circumstance. It's pathetic.

And this isn't just about the convenience of Uber, studies have shown that it has a positive affect on the DUI rates in multiple cities that it has entered. It's literally saving lives.
http://poseidon01.ssrn.com/delivery....104002&EXT=pdf

Not saying that data is incorrect but you'd think with the savings in terms of insurance for lower DUIs, more insurance companies would be all over trying to find a solution that works for Uber drivers.

That doesn't seem to be the case. And insurance companies pay certain people a LOT of money to help determine optimal insurance rates and that sort of thing. Makes you wonder.

[Hockey Fan #751]

Originally Posted by jaydorn

The real kicker here being that the taxi cartel could likely recreate the software UX if they really wanted, "Need a cab, here's your driver, they're on the way!" and bill it to your credit card.

They've done this in Vancouver.

http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2015/04/v...king-app-zoro/

And Vancouver doesn't even have Uber! Their city seems to be moving towards a ridesharing solution though:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/britis...ncil-1.3277785