Uber vs taxi, 570 News does the comparison

Uber launched its ride-sharing app in Waterloo Region on Thursday afternoon.

The ride app is offering four free rides up to $20 for users until Sunday.

Registering for Uber is quick and easy. It does require credit card information as payment is done through the app, not the driver.

I went in a round trip from Uptown Waterloo to Downtown Kitchener, one way Uber, the other, by Taxi.

The Uber driver took 10 minutes to arrive, while I only waited three minutes for the taxi.

As far as cleanliness goes, the taxi topped Uber by far. The Uber driver said he still needed to take time to clean things out before hitting the streets for more pick-ups.

Both drivers were very informative and conversational. The Uber driver didn’t seem to know too much about the fare system, but the taxi driver had a printed, easy to see, copy of fares in his car.

When it came time to pay, it was a close call. Uber’s fee was $13.61, with a base fee of $3, a safe rides fee of $1.50, and $1.10 for every kilometre, and 25 cents for every minute.

 

The taxi was $14.50, with a $3.50 base fee, $2.10 for every kilometre, and an extra $2 tip on top of that.

Overall, Uber was less expensive and easy, but rates will go up during peak hours.

While the taxi was a little more expensive, the rates will stay the same with every use.

 

TRIP FACTS:

• Total trip distance: 4.7 kilometres

UBER:

• Arrived within 10 minutes of the request
• Initial fare of $3.00
• $1.10/kilometre + 0.25/minute

 

Charged “Safe Rides Fee” of $1.50 – “The Safe Rides Fee supports safety efforts for the UberX platform, including among other things a background check process, motor vehicle checks, driver safety education and development of safety features in the app.”

Total: $13.61

• car not bad, driver safe and friendly
• dollar per kilometre depends on how busy they are (rates go up if cars in demand)

 

DRIVER:

• Gets 75% of the fare price – no tips
• Pays for everything (gas, insurance, maintenance, etc)

 

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TAXI:

• Arrived within three minutes of the call
• Initial fare $3.50
• Always $2.10/kilometre
• Total: $14.50 (+ $2.00 tip = $16.50)

 

DRIVER:

• Gets 40% of the fare price + any tips left
• All expenses are paid for through the company (gas, insurance, maintenance, etc)