Uber & Lyft - both are now in Pittsburgh! (leasing, taxi)

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by AaronPGH

I'm still not really even sure what you guys are griping about here? It seems like a lot of really stupid nit-picking about things that don't matter. Are you afraid of change or new ways of doing things?

H_Curtis chastised them for griping about the weather, so now everyone needs something else to fear, I suppose.

[Blackbeauty212]

HOT DAMN! I just read about this in PG. I think it's fantastic and there was such a pint up demand for these services, both companies seem to already be an instant hit with the public, which I think will just lead to Lyft and Uber becoming even more strongholds as it gets more word of mouth and media attention.

I can even see a lot of Jitneys trading in "Jitney Station" for broad scope of passengers and destinations, not just 3$ "up the hill runs"

Yellow Cab better do more than just complain, because I don't see either Peduto or Fitz opposing this, I would be shocked if they don't do more to nurture it's growth.

[FreightTrainRunning]

PUC planning crackdown of ride-share services Lyft, Uber

[ditchdigger]

A follow up to the blog I linked to earlier:

Lyft says they're not a taxi company. I believe them.

Hmmm. There's something to think about...

[BarqCider]

I remember asking bout this in an old thread(pretty sure bout taxis). glad I was right that they came here.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by ditchdigger

A follow up to the blog I linked to earlier:

Lyft says they're not a taxi company. I believe them.

Hmmm. There's something to think about...

This article makes a good point (below), but there's an easy way around it.

Simply create a separate Facebook profile for your Lyft use.

The Holy Grail is to break through the avatars and UserNames and get past the charade of SteelerBoi1992 and find out that this individual is really Walter Johnson, 22 years old, of 1313 Elmhurst Street, and what his credit card number is. Boy, when you can attach the online profile to the IRL (in real life) profile you've just multiplied the value of this file in a big way. That's a play that's worth the VC's time and money.

That's what Lyft does. Lyft connects online identities with real-life identities and then enriches the profile with location and demographic data from the driver. That's what's brilliant about Lyft targeting young, moneyed Millenials.

[AaronPGH]

Pittsburgh cab firms try to cut off newcomers - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

[Blackbeauty212]

^^^^^ Glad to see Peduto is on record as to fully supporting competition to Yellow Cab and the fact the mayor has been a first hand victim to the ridiculous cab service in the Burgh is just the icing on the cake as far as I'm concerned.

I believe by publicly going after Lyft and Uber, Yellow cab is just digging itself an even bigger hole with public perception as not only being an Unreliable Monopoly now add Bully to the adjectives. IMO they're taking the LAZY way out with all this whining. Instead welcome the competition and use this as a swift kick in the ass to improve service, reliability, repair your reputation.

[szug-bot]

i was all for this until someone mentioned (facetiously, i imagine) "who would a passenger sue" if there were an accident. think about it - its a good point, really. (im not suggesting there is no assumed risk by a customer).

im all for breaking a monopoly when its sub-par service (i cant believe a cab driver actually expects a tip on a dead night, for a 2 mile fare), but you cant have chaos. ive read both sides and think Lyft sounds great, but come on - its a commercial operation that should be subject to the same regulation you and I are when we buy anything from Amazon.com.

a woman on the radio recently (from Lyft) said you dont have to pay anything! i find that hard to believe that a driver will say "hey, no problem, here you are, have a good night now!".

[pman]

Jamie Campolongo, CEO of Pittsburgh Transportation Group, which owns Yellow Cab, said on Thursday that his company is partnering with zTrip, which makes an app for taxi companies that is similar to apps for driving services Lyft and Uber. They began operating in Pittsburgh in the past week.
“We hope to roll it out in Pittsburgh in March. Basically, you'll get everything that you get from the other companies in conjunction with professionally trained and licensed drivers,” Campolongo said. “Unfortunately, we're three weeks too late.”

Read more: Pittsburgh taxis plan own smartphone app to battle newcomers Lyft and Uber | TribLIVE
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