The use of smart phones is a growing trend. People are using apps to make life simpler in any way that they can figure out. Smartphone technology is being used as an aid in the dispatch or hailing of cabs and limo’s. There are now companies that both dispatch and charge with an app. While it might make life simpler for some it is complicating life for those that regulate these services and watch over the consumer.
Uber Taxi Service
What they offer:
-This San Francisco startup has a smart phone app that will help people to locate a taxicab or a traditional livery vehicle.
Simplicity:
-The company stores customers’ credit card info so when they order a ride the charge is automatically added with a 20% gratuity. The money is then deposited weekly into the drivers account.
Regulatory Issues:
-New technology means new regulations. In D.C. an Uber driver was arrested in a sting operation, yet the company is still operating there. The sting operation worked to stop an illegal driver but stopping the dispatching system, which the city can deem illegal, is a different matter. Their attempt to expand to Vegas has been stalled due to state statutes.
Groundlink
Services Offered:
-This is a service that is available in the majority of US cities as well as more than 100 other countries. They can be hired through an app or a call. One plus of this company is the car tracking. When a car is tracked as behind schedule they will find a car that is closer (as stated by the company)and send that one instead. The app even allows for customers in New York to watch on their phone, as the car approach’s.
Issues :
-Reviews have not looked good and many make reference to being over charged and then struggling to get reimbursed. While the reviews of the driver and the general look of the automobiles were pretty good across the board, there the opposite was largely stated, when the billing or customer service department was encountered.
Concerns in Australia:
Australia is dealing with the same types of issues that come up with the use of smartphones with taxi’s and limos
Convenience Versus Potential Problems:
While it does look like the GPS technology with these apps will help customers get service faster there are worries that are being addressed also. Regulations are what protect customers from being overcharged and keep them safe from unlicensed drivers. The existing regulations that are in place to cover the metered rates of fare, license classification, and the rules of dispatch were all created before smartrphones were around. They need to be contemplated by regulators that are willing to address the new technology.
Regulatory compliance is something that will be raised as the market grows. With new technology there will be changes made to keep up with the advances.
