For many in The Villages, the word “uber” might by synonymous with “over,” “across,” or even “super.” For most metropolitan cities, that word takes on a whole different meaning.
Uber, as it is known in New York, Miami, Orlando and other cities, is the name of the largest growing transportation network company in the world. The company recently moved into local municipalities, including Ocala and Belleview full time, and appears to be probing The Villages – currently, if you open the app while in The Villages, you may see Uber vehicles available for transport (we’ll explain how Uber works below).
The incorporation of Uber into The Villages would be a significant change from the current transportation options. What makes Uber different? Well, unlike most taxi companies, Uber operates entirely through a smartphone application. Any consumer with smartphones may request a trip at any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, from a pool of available drivers based on his/her location. By simply pulling up the application, users can see how many drivers are available and how long their wait may be.
By setting a pickup location and destination, users can also obtain fare estimates before they schedule their ride.
Sounds like a taxi, right? Not quite. Uber does not operate like a traditional taxi service with respect to a few features. First, the drivers use their own vehicles. Second, neither Uber nor its drivers adhere to the traditional “medallion/permitting” process that most vehicle-for-hire services adhere to.
As you can imagine, this has created quite the conundrum among local governments who have had a vice grip on local transportation services since their existence. Whatever the issues may be among local governments, Uber, and taxi companies, the simple fact is that these services are important in large communities.
Do you think The Villages needs a service like Uber? Leave your thoughts by taking our poll:
