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by vannevar 3384 days ago
I personally think they could get away with raising prices, but then the drivers would become their customers, and profit margins for Uber as a dispatcher would be driven very thin---it's just not that hard to run a GPS-driven dispatch service. The only thing that makes an Uber an Uber is a window sticker and an app on the driver's phone. How long before there's an uber-Uber that just sends your request to all the dispatch services and the first one that shows up gets your fare?
1 comments

> How long before there's an uber-Uber that just sends your request to all the dispatch services and the first one that shows up gets your fare?

There already is an app for this, with over a billion existing users: Google Maps.

If you search for directions in London, there's a "ride hire" tab next to public transport. It gives you price estimates for Uber, London official taxis, and Hailo - all booked with a button from Google Maps, never having to open the Uber/Taxi/Hailo app.