I've not used Uber in Europe, but I have in North and South America.
In North America it all works very well and very easily and seems to me to be the preferred approach, but in South America not so much.
In some countries, Chile for example, they are not licensed or permitted so spend a great deal of their time dodging the Carabineros. If they have an accident then they will do their best to leave the scene and/or dump their passengers.
In places like Brazil I do not consider them safe. There is little or no protection and unless you are going to examine IDs and refuse suspiciously different faces, you don't really know who is driving them. Cabs are left alone by the local villains for a bunch of reasons, none of which apply to Uber. Aside from those behind taxi organisations, who can make their feelings felt, taxi drivers also recognise and, to an extent, protect each other.
A well known risk is additional people being hidden in the Uber you get into. They will take you to an ATM and help you take cash out and then disappear with the Uber driving insisting he was kidnapped and forced (he wasn't).
Uber in Brazil takes cash. Consequently the cars/drivers are a target for robbers. Whether or not they have passengers.
I will not allow my daughters to use Uber in South America. And don't forget, Daughter #1 *is* Brazilian and we have all been in South America for a long time, mostly but not exclusively Chile & Brazil and speak the languages.
There is little or no difference in pricing except dumb-a*** tourists are more likely to be overcharged in a hailed taxi and prices are somewhat more officially variable in an Uber.
In Brazil, Peru, Argentina and Chile the service is often unreliable. Wrong car, wrong time, wrong place, wrong route, no-show, etc. etc. In North America it is almost 100% reliable.
Copacabana to the Airport, for example, is a fairly typical R$70 ish in either Uber or Taxi. However, at times of high demand, low supply, s*** weather, etc. etc. the Uber price can go up significantly, whereas the Taxi fare not so much.
You can also use one of the Taxi companies, kind of the equivalent to Private Hire, but you will pay for the privilege.
Though the post was really about the business/social side of Uber more than using the service.
In Chile it is particularly bad, though less physically dangerous for the passenger. No control over drivers, cars, no safety checks, no background checks, no special driving licence, no special Insurance, often no insurance, incompetent drivers etc. etc. and all it is doing is taking business away from Taxi drivers who have to live with all those controls. [and costs].
In most places EasyTaxi is the best App since it gives you the vehicle and driver details, a quote for the fare, but uses the official, liveried, public taxis, not some bloke in a car.
My daughters use EasyTaxi.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Mon 29 Apr 19 at 17:00
|
