Looking for a cheaper way to get around downtown Columbia?
Uber is a new transportation option that may appeal to many USC students.
The Uber ridesharing service launched at noon on Thursday in downtown Columbia, Charleston, Myrtle Beach and Greenville. The service allows customers to hail the nearest drivers in the area using the Uber app on their smartphone.
Uber motorists are freelance drivers who drive their own personal cars.
“With the advent of smartphones and the ability of technology to enable new services, one of those services is ridesharing, so we give the ability for local people to use their down time to pick people up for a fee and take them where they need to go,” said Billy Guernier, general manager for regional expansion on the east coast.
The service offers relatively inexpensive rates. For a student on campus, a ride to Yesterday’s in Five Points would cost $5, a ride to Williams Brice would cost $7 and a ride to the Columbia Metropolitan Airport would cost $23. Customers pay by credit card through the app and may split fares.
While many customers are excited about the new service, some South Carolina residents and government officials are wary of the product. According to The State, some Charleston city officials have questioned the legality of the company, saying that Uber drivers must be licensed by the state in the same way as taxi drivers. According to South Carolina Business News, by operating privately, Uber avoids both state regulation and taxation. The State also reported that the S.C. Office of Regulatory Services issued an advisory for potential Uber users, highlighting the fact that the drivers are not licensed by the state.
However, according to Guernier, the resistance stems from a misunderstanding about the definition of ridesharing.
Despite its separation from state-regulated transportation, and notwithstanding the reluctance of some S.C. residents, Uber employees maintain that safety remains the service’s first priority.
Uber drivers must be at least 21-years-old and must have at least three years of driving experience. According to Guernier, in order to “get on the platform”, drivers must also undergo vehicle inspections, verify their motor vehicle records and insurance documents, and undergo a thorough background check.
“To give you a sense of how stringent our background checks are, we’ve put a number of taxi drivers though our background check in Boston, and ten percent of the taxi drivers that are licensed to be on the road as a taxi driver fail our background checks,” Guernier said. “So in many cases, we’d be more stringent than what municipalities are actually doing.”
Uber also provides ridesharing insurance designed to be supplemental to that of the driver which can cover excesses of up to $1 million.
Once on the platform, Uber drivers may sign into the app whenever they choose, making themselves available for opportunities to provide rides. App users can see the location of signed-in drivers, as well as their phone numbers, photos and estimated arrival times.
The company’s unique model is an example of the potential for smartphone technology to revolutionize essential services, not only for individuals, but for communities. The service may be especially valuable in our city, where public transportation options are limited.
“What we’ve found is that there’s really a need for Uber everywhere,” Guernier said. “It’s not just for the big cities of the world, it’s also for the smaller cities.”