Ride Sharing Services: Nobody Has Them Yet, Everybody Wants Them

Introduction

You might have seen the news that a self-driving car just drove itself across the country, but there’s another type of transportation technology that’s poised to change our lives even more: ride sharing services. The idea is simple: you download an app on your phone, select your destination, and get picked up by a driver who takes you there. But while this service has been available in other countries for decades, it hasn’t hit the US scene yet. There are lots of startups trying to crack the market first (like Uber and Lyft), but none of them have really taken off yet due to some key challenges like insurance regulation and pricing models.”

Ride sharing services have been available in other countries for decades, but they haven’t hit the US scene yet.

Ride sharing services have been available in other countries for decades, but they haven’t hit the US scene yet. In fact, you might even say that ride sharing is a form of carpooling–the practice of two or more people traveling together in one vehicle. It’s not just limited to buses; anyone who has ever taken Lyft or Uber can attest that these companies are essentially offering a form of ride sharing service where you get picked up by drivers who are already headed toward your destination.

Ride sharing has been around since at least the 1970s when it was first introduced by Dial-a-ride (DAR), which allowed disabled people living in New Jersey to call DAR directly and schedule pickup times from their homes or offices anywhere within their county boundaries; DAR would then send out vans equipped with wheelchair lifts so those passengers could easily get into and out of vehicles safely without having to wait outside alone while someone else drove them around town (or worse).

Lots of startups are trying to crack the market first.

The ride sharing market is still wide open. There are a lot of startups trying to crack it first, but none have a dominant position yet.

Uber is the biggest and most well-known of these companies, with some reports claiming over $1 billion in annual revenue and an estimated valuation around $50 billion. Lyft has raised more than $2 billion in funding so far and was recently valued at $7 billion after raising another $600 million in June 2018–but that’s still less than Uber’s current valuation. Sidecar stopped operating as an independent company earlier this year after being acquired by Daimler (the parent company behind Mercedes-Benz) for an undisclosed amount; Car2Go announced plans to launch its own car-sharing service called “Car2Go Rent” later this year; Getaround operates primarily in California but has expanded into other states like Oregon and Washington; RelayRides lets you rent someone else’s car through its app–and offers insurance coverage up front so if anything happens while you’re driving around town with your rental vehicle on display next to yours at home (!).

Popular ride sharing services such as Uber, Lyft and Sidecar have been around for a few years but have yet to take off.

Ride sharing services such as Uber, Lyft and Sidecar have been around for a few years but have yet to take off. Uber and Lyft were founded in 2009; Sidecar was founded in 2012. The three companies have raised billions of dollars from investors who believe that they will be profitable one day; however, there are still many obstacles that need to be overcome before this becomes reality.

The biggest problem is that Americans are using cars less than they used too: according to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), per capita vehicle miles traveled (VMT) decreased by 9{a5ecc776959f091c949c169bc862f9277bcf9d85da7cccd96cab34960af80885} between 2005 and 2013 while total VMT increased by 2{a5ecc776959f091c949c169bc862f9277bcf9d85da7cccd96cab34960af80885}. This means people aren’t driving as much as they did 10 years ago–and ride sharing companies need those drivers in order for them not only stay afloat but also grow into new markets like India or Africa where car ownership rates are much lower than here at home!

Even though people love them, we just don’t know whether or not these companies will succeed.

In spite of their popularity, ride sharing services are a risky business. There’s no guarantee that these companies will be able to stay in business for long–or even at all.

People love them because they’re convenient and cheap, but people also hate them because they’re so convenient and cheap that the companies don’t need to give good customer service or offer anything special besides the price (which is why it’s called “ride-sharing” rather than “transportation”).

Even though people love them, we just don’t know whether or not these companies will succeed in the long run:

The biggest problem is that Americans are using cars far less than they used to, and it’s hard to convince them to use ridesharing services instead.

The biggest problem is that Americans are using cars far less than they used to, and it’s hard to convince them to use ridesharing services instead.

Rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft have seen significant growth in recent years–but they’re still only a tiny fraction of the market. In 2017, Americans took 83 million trips per day on public transportation; they drove 15 million miles each day in private cars; and those two figures together were dwarfed by the number of miles traveled by taxis (930 million), which includes both ride-hailing services and traditional cabs like Yellow Cab or Checker Cab.

This trend toward less driving isn’t unique to America: Around the world, fewer people are getting behind the wheel every year as cities become more dense, bus routes expand into new neighborhoods and suburbs become more accessible via public transportation than ever before

There are also challenges with insurance, regulation and pricing models.

• Insurance is a big problem. The ride-sharing platforms must develop their own insurance policies for drivers and passengers, which is difficult because they are not traditional taxi services.
• Regulation is a big problem. Local governments are struggling to come up with rules that protect consumers while not stifling innovation or creating unfair advantages for some companies over others.
• Pricing models are a big problem. It’s unclear whether the new business models will be able to make money at all, let alone enough money to satisfy investors who have sunk millions into these ventures

Ride sharing has potential but there are lots of hurdles on our road to adoption

Ride sharing has potential but there are lots of hurdles on our road to adoption.

Competitive landscape: The competitive landscape for ride sharing services is competitive and crowded, with many companies vying for market share. Uber and Lyft have been operating in Austin since 2014, but the city recently passed an ordinance that would require drivers to undergo fingerprinting as part of their background checks–a process that could take upwards of two weeks and cost $40 per driver. This irked many local drivers who say they’ll leave town if it goes into effect (which it did). The ordinance also requires ride-hailing companies to pay an annual fee of $7,000 per vehicle operated within city limits…and if you’ve ever driven around Austin’s traffic-choked streets during SXSW or ACL Fest weekend, you know how many cars are out there!

Conclusion

Ride sharing services are the future of transportation, but only if they can overcome these challenges. Right now, it seems like everyone wants them in their city but nobody has them yet.