Uber is on-demand, and costs more because of that (convenience tax). Spending 15min on a Sunday evening to book your kids activities for the week isn't awful, and it gives MB a chance to pick optimal routes.
Convenience has a cost, planning ahead reduces it.
According to their "About" page, a one-way ride costs $22. Even if you buy 50 rides at once, the price is still $17.6 per one-way ride. That's comparable to what a typical UberX ride around Palo Alto costs, in my experience.
Convenience has a cost, planning ahead reduces it.