Taxi Vs Ride-Share Services: Why A Taxi May Be A Better Option

There is an ongoing debate between ride-sharing services and traditional taxi services, which leaves travelers caught in the middle. The arguments are strong from both sides. But there must be a victor, and a traditional taxi service may just be the winner. The following guide will compare the two and show you why a traditional taxi driver is still your best option to get to your destination.

Pricing

One of the strongest tools that most ride-share services have is they are relatively cheaper than regular taxi's, yet it does bring up that old saying that you "get what you pay for." What you have to understand about a ride share service is that the vehicle is a personal vehicle, which could mean some of the following: 

  • Children or babies
  • Cleanliness is not supervised

A taxi service supervises cleanliness, vehicular safety, and the driver's physical state before sending him or her off to pick you up and take you to your destination. You may be paying more, but what you are paying for is well worth your hard earned money. 

Safety Unraveled

Ride-sharing companies do require background checks on their drivers before they are hired that usually include DUI checks, violent crime offenses, and sexual harassment charges. But a taxi driver's background check is much more extensive. This simply means that your safety is very important to a taxi service company.

The following are some of the extra requirements that a taxi driver needs to pass in order to pick you up:

  • Be entirely free of diseases, conditions, or addictions that might interfere with safe driving.
  • Taxi drivers must be screened for fraud charges and reckless behavior, in addition to the 3 offenses that some of the ride share companies check.
  • Taxi companies must fingerprint and usually check the driving record of a driver, which goes back at least 10 years.
  • A driver is trained as a taxi driver and tested before he or she is given the opportunity to drive you to your destination.

You can talk to your taxi service specialist (such as one from http://www.farwesttaxi.net) about other things that a taxi driver must pass before servicing as your cabbie. But rest assured that a ride share driver does not usually go through such a rigorous process to become a driver. So the choice between a ride share driver and a taxi driver is a fairly simple one, should safety be your concern. 


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