| As someone who did not have a car for the better part of a decade, living in one city known for a good taxi system and one without a good taxi system: "sustainable industry" is not the term I would use to describe taxis. Their dispatch systems badly needed replacing. Things I saw in taxis pre-uber: - Calling a dispatcher and giving an intersection, to receive a "we don't pick up at intersections, you need a valid street address" message. This was in the city without a lot of taxis. Gee, wonder why. - Drivers speeding off once they realized you didn't mean to go to the airport. - Drivers intentionally using both feet to drive, so they would stay well below the speed limit. If confronted, it was in the name of "safety". Dispatchers couldn't track locations so they had no idea how long the trip should take, and weren't interested in you as a repeat customer enough to do anything to the driver. - Multiple broken card readers. - Generally, it was impossible to understand dispatchers. Almost every one I talked to had a thick accent beyond what I would expect from even a newer first-generation immigrant. |