Quote:
Originally Posted by InCoGnEtO
What is the holdup wiht getting more cabs on the street? ...or with more companies? Why is the City not fixing this issue.
I really am in the dark as to why this is still an issue....can someone explain?
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I didn't major in business but it seems to me the taxi companies in Calgary have a very lucrative and unfair oligopoloy going here.
I spent nearly 2 hours on hold for a taxi on a recent regular Saturday night, and when I finally got in the car and asked the driver how insanely busy he must be on this night, he just shrugged and said "not really". He told me that the problem is not in a shortage of cars or drivers, but all in the dispatch systems. Apparently these companies all employ small handfuls of people with minimal phone lines, in an effort to minimize overhead by not spending on improved dispatch systems, while at the same time creating the false impression of car shortages with the goal of being granted more licenses to make money off of.
The customer definitely gets screwed, but so do the drivers by not having nearly as many fares put through to them as they could handle. That's exactly why so many from both parties have signed up to use the FastCab app - cut out the antiquated middle man and get a damn ride/fare.
I know that I have declined many a social event JUST to avoid the taxi fiasco that has always existed in Calgary. It's about time this industry was reformed, and I can't wait until the court laughs the greedy pricks right out the door.