The Massachusetts city of Cambridge is again trying to stop Uber, the company that makes the great app for finding a cab, limo, or private party to give you a ride somewhere. This time Cambridge is attacking with some very onerous regulations that are designed to price Uber's private drivers out of the market and make the company's gps based billing practice illegal. Cambridge previously took legal action against Uber and lost the case. This is round two of a battle between a pro-regulation city and an up and coming business. It raises some very interesting economic issues.

http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/bl...g-down-on.html

 

While I'm generally anti-regulation, giving private drivers the competitive advantages they receive by not having to pay licensing fees, commercial insurance, etc. just isn't fair. Either total deregulation for everyone, or everyone has the same rules and requirements.

That's just one man's opinion.

 

Heck, so far it's the only opinion.

 

Does an Uder driver require a livery license?

 

The short answer is no. They have different catagories of drivers and you can choose a taxi or limo or go with a non-professional driver. Uber claims it "screens" all of its drivers for whatever that is worth. After all the cab rides I have taken in my life, I'm not sure I see any value to the "licensed" cabbie.

 

My daughter and her college friends use Uber constantly. Works well, and they never need to worry about having a DD when going out. And - they don't need to have the cash - the fare is charged to their Uber accounts. And it is easy for them to apportion the fare and split up the cost among the riders. Also, because Uber drivers are scattered throughout the city they are never very far away, so there are seldom any long waits. Taxi cab companies seem to have a huge lobby that gives them a transit monopoly in the city. In Houston it is the cab companies that keep light rail from expanding to provide access to the airports, for instance. So -- So I say, "Uber über alles!!"

 

I can't even remember my last cab ride........I remember one of our storage customers showing up in a cab at our place. The cab looked downright scary, and so did the driver. We told him next time, we'd give him a ride, not to take his life in his hands.

One question though. How does one know what kind of liability insurance the Uber drivers carry? Do they have any regulations/requirements. Are we better off to be in an auto accident in a licensed cab or in an Uber vehicle? How can I make the most money if injured?

 

When I went out to dinner with my son and future daghter-in-law, we used Uber to take us to Mountain View and walked home after dinner and drinks. Like Jim's daughter, they use it all the time. I love it for giving them a fast option to driving. Kyle says the cabbies are flakes and unreliable but the Uber drivers are faster to arrive and reasonably priced.

 

I'm not clear on the insurance, Lainey. I've heard two or three different stories and have not spent time to determine which is true.

 

Common story, Jim. Kids love it and use it all the time.