We came across a news headline a couple of days ago that said, “Yet another Uber driver arrested.” As a part of the taxi industry, a headline like that one really makes me mad. Ridesharing services like Uber penetrated the transportation industry seemingly out of nowhere. And since then, the war between this service and cabbies became a worldwide issue.
Safety is one of the major issues in this transportation battle. While we won’t lie and say that there’s no security issues with taxis around the globe, we’re confident to claim that conventional cabbies are a lot safer than ridesharing services like Uber. The controversies with Uber drivers alone can make passengers feel unsafe, even before contacting the ridesharing company. Most of the complaints Uber get involved sexual assault perpetrated by the drivers. This is a sensitive point with the company since Uber is known for having a questionable process of vetting their drivers.
In the past year alone, a staggering number of high-profile incidents involving Uber drivers attacking their passengers made the news. These unfavorable incidents even happen here in Chicago. This is the reason why traditional taxi dispatches make it a point to drill safety and security information to their drivers.
The New App
Traditional cabbies fight back the lure of ridesharing services by providing a safer environment. The security of passengers is of the utmost importance to cabbie drivers, that’s not a secret. To add to this security, Chicago cab companies like Universal Taxi Dispatch are now using an exclusive transportation app. The Universal Taxi app allows potential passengers to:
- Estimate his fare from Point A to Point B.
- Acquire various transportation services like corporate accounts, airport pickups, and delivery packages.
- Choose the right kind of vehicle the passenger wants to use.
- Provide feedback about the driver and the service.
The last service of the Universal Taxi app is very important because it’s the way the company assesses and regulates its drivers. Routine evaluations help in determining which drivers need to be looked into, and what other areas of security can be strengthened.
The Dangers of Uber
Because ridesharing service has become such a hype these days, a lot of passengers want to try Uber. This is even with all the safety controversies revolving around the service. But exactly how dangerous is Uber as opposed to traditional cabs and limos? The thing is that there’s no specific way to gauge this. It’s always a case-to-case basis. But one thing is for certain, with the quantity of bad feedback and complaints Uber get involving its drivers, there is undoubtedly a security problem. The news about its loose vetting system for drivers and personnel doesn’t help at all too. It seems like in every city where Uber is popular, headlines about Uber drivers doing wrong is becoming a normal occurrence. The company dismisses this vetting issue though. The company’s spokesperson said that their background checking process is consistent everywhere and more rigorous than before.
Although Uber’s embarrassing safety incidents can boost the status of traditional cabbies, we hope that this security issue ends. The passenger’s safety and well-being must always be the driver’s number one priority.