How Uber is fast becoming the taxi market conquers
Posted on 31-07-2014 at 20:04 by ricardo – 36 Comments”
The fledgling taxi service Uber is loved and hated. Techsavy consumers love it, while the conservative taxi world each time in anger ignites when the service, its scope enlarged. But what is that whole Uber?
Uber was five years ago by two internet entrepreneurs founded in San Francisco. Garrett M. Camp (35) and Travis Kalanick (37) already had a zipper companies behind their name, and decided in 2009 on the taxi market to dive with a simple idea, then UberCab was called. The goal was to customers via an app to an alternative taxi service to offer. And, well, that is fairly well done.
When the service officially launched in June 2010 you could be in San Francisco through the Android – or iOS-app – after filling in your credit card details with a press of a button taxi call. You can immediately see how long it takes before the car is there and it is possible to have a destination to enter, giving you an indication of the costs presented. Uber did from the beginning only with drivers in the most luxurious cars. 7-Series, S-Classes, Town Cars, that kind of stuff. Meanwhile, the service will be rolled out across 100 cities in 42 countries
In the lanceringsjaar they knew the first investors to bind and at the end of 2011 had Uber all the immense amount of 49.5 million dollars collected, among others, Goldman Sachs and Bezos Expeditions (the personal investment vehicle of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos). Also Google stopped with money in it.
$ 17 billion
Why Uber suddenly as the new darling of Silicon Valley was seen? Simple, there was in contrast to many other start-ups with a trendy name right away seriously made money. Of each price is, in fact, 20 percent to Uber, the rest is for the driver. (There is no taxi in between, which is the resentment of taxi control centres agree). Uber gives no figures on sales or profits, but it recently leaked out that they are of mid-October 2013 until mid-november a 20 million dollar business. A huge amount of for a month. It explains why Uber recently 1.2 billion to investeringsdollars shrugged, making the total valuation of the company now at $ 17 billion. With Uber is really hard deserves.
Back to the Netherlands. In Amsterdam and Rotterdam drive hundreds of Uber drivers, and that number is growing steadily. The experience of many users is nice. It is often cheaper than a regular taxi, the drivers are nice – you can indeed rate after the end – and the cars are without exception of excellent quality. After the call set-up fee of €3 you pay €1,90 per kilometre. If we compare that with the rates of Taxi Centrale Amsterdam (TCA), then the starting price there is slightly higher, but the kilometer price is again lower. A journey of 5 miles cost at TCA €13,49 euro, with an Ubertaxi is €12,50.
In some countries, was afterwards the service UberX launched. Still with drivers who have a license, but driving a cheaper car. Later, UberXL, for cars with at least six places, and Uber Family, which are guaranteed to have a car with a child seat, comes to the event.
The controversial variant: UberPop
The entry level of Uber called UberPop. After a controversial launch in Brussels, where in april, to the great anger of Neelie Kroes was banned – and a permaban in Berlin, was it yesterday time to the snordersdienst in Amsterdam to launch. Because that is what it is: a glorified carpooldienst for snorders. Terms and conditions for UberPop-drivers is that they are at least 21 years old and a 4-door car (2005 or later drive. A taxidiploma is not required. The rates are well below those of traditional taxi control centres, but also in those of the other Uber initiatives such as BLACK and LUX.
A ride of 5 kilometers in 10 minutes with UberPop about €8,50. With an ordinary taxi, it’s €17. A ride from Amsterdam city Centre to amsterdam Schiphol airport is approximately €21 cost, a taxi is around €41. UberPOP has a connection fee of €1 and 20 cents per minute + €1.10 per km. A regular taxi has a connection fee of €2,89 + 35 cents per minute + 2,12 euro per kilometer.
The inevitable ban
Not long after all stampei in the media showed the human Environment and Transport Inspectorate, part of the ministry for Infrastructure, know that UberPop is illegal. In addition, vesrschillende insurers that drivers and passengers are not insured, because the car for commercial purposes is used. The inspection says that strict action against individuals who participate. Or they also snordersboetes go to hand out (4.200€, in case of repetition of 10,000 euros) is not known.
Uber the Netherlands says it will not agree with this assessment of the inspection and go simply by with the service. Uber claims with UberPop, in fact, no taxi transport to facilitate, but a meerijdienst, where private car drivers, other individuals let you ride. Tomato tomato.
That the within 24 hours, is prohibited, and the Taxi Boksvereniging Central Amsterdam with a lawsuit threatens, is all grist to the mill of Uber. Who know namely dondersgoed or UberPop whether or not within the Dutch law. But by simply to launch, they can be under the attention of all media, a test trial proceedings and/or a change in the law force. Call us suspicious, but this is all part of the game to the revision of the Taxiwet this fall in favor of Uber dropping.
Or UberPop here ever gets off the ground or not; Uber, we can now already a successful disruptor of a traditional and conservative market. What Amazon for homeshopping did, and how streaming services like Netflix old tv channels to the installation, as will Uber – or any other techbedrijf – eventually the taxi world to conquer and re-shape. Because if you don’t innovate, it leaves room for a startupje as Uber. And Uber knows how.