Yes their moat is the brand, drunk women will get in an Uber and feel safe because corporate is ultimately putting their name on the line every ride. Nobody will feel safe dealing directly with random strangers.
This. Also, Waymo, if they keep scaling, is going to eat their lunch in this market. No human in the drivers seat is ultimately the solution to this problem.
Waymo costs more in areas where it operates right now yet I've heard people swear by it and state that they don't care how much more it costs, they'll always use a Waymo over an Uber or Lyft.
Which is a surprising viewpoint for those of us who don't have the safety concerns others may have but when you think about it, it makes complete sense.
Some searching suggests it’s not that far from 50:50 in terms of actual rides. Uber drivers average well under 20 hours per week. Taxi have significantly fewer drivers working much longer hours, but they dominate very short trips.
Makes sense to me. There is a lot of existing infrastructure anticipating cab companies. Airports, stadiums, hotels, resorts, etc. all with dedicated cab lines that can get you seated in a vehicle in seconds.
The ride apps solve the biggest concerns. They have driver ratings so you can see verification from many other riders that the driver is good and they have upfront pricing. Taxi's have started to use apps but at this point the trust is pretty much broken to anyone that's experienced the old "My meters not working but I'll give you a special rate" type of shit.
Essentially Taxi drivers are the random strangers over the apps with ratings and reviews from other riders showing clearly.
Given the quality of drivers and cars I have experienced, the ratings mean nothing.
Instead, I do get comfort in knowing that there is a database timestamped entry linking myself with an Uber driver identifier. Should something happen, I could theoretically complain/give a lead so investigators can locate my murdered body. Random cab is more anonymous and feels more dangerous in unfamiliar territory.
