By Shawn Presley
By now, the App Uber is by far a household name and for good reason; the App is the epitome of communication and innovation in the 21st century and in my opinion the most beneficial App since Facebook. The high demand of transportation in the city of Orlando has drastically increased in the last 5 to 10 years. The increase presence of cars on the road have not gone unnoticed by city officials, major projects such as the Interstate-4 transformation and other smaller road projects are combating the cities congestion, however it is not enough.
Uber is the alternative to decrease traffic while simultaneously creating jobs. Yes the App acts as a mediator between those who need and ride and those that give rides. To drive for Uber is easy and hassle free, simply upload pictures of your Title, Insurance, and Drivers license and in a short time Uber will contact you with a link to download the Partner App (Uber App for Drivers) and just like that you can begin driving. Once on the road the App for drivers bings when a rider in your location needs a ride, the driver has 30 seconds to either accept or ignore the request in which case it will transfer to the next driver. Compensation on rides depends on the distance and time of the ride and weather or not there is a Surge (A time when normal rates are multiplied due to an increased in ride requests). Uber compensates drivers on tolls as well and only takes 20% of the total fare.
Now whenever there is innovation, there will always be opposition, the App is so effective the standard Taxi company in the city, in this case MERES company, has seen drastic decrease in business. As a response the taxi company has brokered a deal with city officials that Uber drivers are not allowed near the airport and if caught will suffer heavy fines and penalties. As an alternative I urge normal taxi drivers to transfer their skills and experience to Uber and begin making the money they deserve. Without a doubt Uber is here to stay and in my opinion the hybrid of Innovation, communication, and capitalism. I’m eager to see how the App will evolve and assimilate into the life of citizens across the country.