Taxi drivers in Auburn breathed a sigh of relief after Uber temporarily suspended operations in the city.
While the Auburn City Council made the decision to make new car-for-hire regulations, which was within their authority, taxi drivers within the city should now focus their attention on modernizing their systems.
Even if someone does not agree with the City Council's decision to control aspects of Uber's operations within the city, it is well within the Council's authority to regulate business operations in the Auburn-Opelika area.
Uber has decided to halt operations after City Council passed ordinances requiring all vehicle-for-hire cars to pay licensing fees, undergo background checks, have commercial insurance and have marked signage on their cars in Auburn. The Council did not ban Uber from operating.
According to David Dorton, director of public affairs for the city of Auburn, the Council negotiated with Uber for six months.
New regulations for cars-for-hire operations came after Uber's appearance in the city, but that is only to be expected.
As new businesses are introduced into the city, it should be assumed City Council will adjust existing policies to maintain the safety, fairness and security of operations within the city. However, taxi drivers in Auburn should take note of some of Uber's policies.
Had taxi systems modernized before Uber made plans to come to Auburn, the threat of the system would not have been nearly as substantial to taxi drivers.
According to businessinsider.com, Uber, founded in 2009, was recently valued at $18.2 billion. A company with those kind of figures must be doing something right.
Uber has attracted many of its customers through its smartphone app, which allows customers to make payments, has a GPS locating system and reach drivers online within minutes. These features lead to quicker pick-up times and more straightforward prices.
Taxi drivers within the city should modernize their ride services with similar attributes to become more attractive to customers.
Cities around the United States have started proposing and implementing apps that enable customers to hail cabs through their smartphones.
According to The New York Times, such apps have made appearances in Chicago and New York City. According to reuters.com, mobile phone apps for regular taxi services have been made mandatory in San Francisco. To further taxi services, the Council could look into similar policies passed and consider making the apps mandatory as well.
While it was within City Council jursidiction to make decisions that benefit Auburn as a whole, this experience should be looked upon as a learning opportunity for taxi drivers within the city and encourage them to update their systems.
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