Re: One word: disintermediation
I think the big problem isn't that they are cutting down on the middle man - you don't connect direct with the driver, you connect with Uber, who contact a driver and send him to you.
They just use a smartphone app to do it automatically, as opposed to you phoning the taxi company and them radioing the taxi to come and get you...
And that is the problem, if you are plying for hire, you have to have a licence, you have to ensure the vehicle meets certain safety standards and you have to have commercial insurance and you have to pass background checks etc. These are all things that Uber and Lyft seem to argue don't apply to them, because they don't use a telephone to book fares, they use a smartphone...
Biting the hand that feeds IT
