Ridesharing and taxi apps are becoming increasingly popular as technology continues to develop. There are many things you need to consider when deciding which app will work best for you. Let’s dig into some specifics to help you decide which ridesharing or taxi app will work best for you!
Top 3 Ridesharing and Taxi Apps Currently Available in the United States…
Uber
Uber is the number one taxi/ridesharing app. First appearing in 2009, Uber took the taxi service by storm with its new peer-to-peer ridesharing app. It’s currently available in 633 cities, double the number of cities Lyft is available in.
Users have the choice to either pay for a ride or you can be the driver (who’s paid to drive). There are currently over 7 million Uber drivers! If you’re looking to start Uber driving as a secondary source of income or a full-time job, here are the requirements: https://www.uber.com/drive/requirements/
Uber also allows you to schedule a ride for up to one month in advance, where they stand by a “Pickup Guarantee”. When you schedule a ride at least 30 minutes in advance, where they give the driver a 10-minute window to be at your pickup location or you will receive $10 off of your ride! That’s pretty good customer service.
There are many ride services available. If you want to know more, Quora has an awesome answer that breaks down all of Uber’s ride types, which can be found here.
Just be sure all of you party animals don’t puke (or make any notable mess, at that) in a vehicle during your ride because it can cost you anywhere from $25 to a solid $150 – depending on the severity.
Bonus Points: Uber Eats. This app allows you to have food delivered from your favorite [select] restaurants in less than 30 minutes. If you live in a populated region, do yourself a favor and download the app on your phone or another device! It may come in handy one night when you don’t feel like driving to get food.
Lyft
Established in 2012 as the first real competition to Uber. They serve over 1 million rides per day and as of last month are valued at $15.1 billion dollars (just over double that of 2017 – $7.5 billion). Lyft is currently in over 300 cities in the United States and is continuously growing!
Lyft has a handful of ride types themselves. Some ride types even allow drivers with high-end, qualifying vehicles a chance to earn more:
- Lyft Lux: High-end, four seats, the perfect way to add a little luxury and arrive in style
- Lux Black: Premium black car service limited to only the most luxurious makes and models
- Lux Black XL: Premium black SUV service with space for parties up to six passengers
Curb
“The Taxi App”, Curb, is transforming the way people travel in highly-populated urban communities. Curb connects users with over 50,000 taxis in 65 United States cities. The most popular cities are New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, and Washington, DC.
With Curb, you can choose from three different ride options. You may pick “ride now” for an immediate pickup, “ride later” to reserve a taxi up to 24 hours in advance, or “pair & pay” which pairs with the taxi and the Curb app, for when you call a taxi in-person with your hand. Curb also has a great benefit for those who may have a walking disability or handicap. With Curb, you can request a wheelchair-accessible taxi.
All of the above ridesharing services are great, but they are continuously criticized. Ridesharing and taxi apps are always battling legal and regulatory hurdles established by other companies and taxi services. We believe the ridesharing apps will prevail in the end, as taxi services are unreliable, have longer waits, and (most importantly) are way more expensive!
Remember – some drivers go out of their way to improve their service (providing beverages, snacks, hand sanitizer, good conversation, audio cable connections, phone chargers, etc.) so be sure to tip accordingly!
What’s next for these ridesharing apps? Self-driving cars…
