Over the past decade, the ride-hailing industry has taken off. Rapid technological advancement and growing dissatisfaction with the substandard travel ecosystem of 2010 and before had created an opportunity.
It was from that opportunity that companies like Uber emerged.
Waiting In Line
Almost overnight, people could order cabs over the phone or on the internet. Previously, taxi operators would dispatch a vehicle based on their position in the queue, meaning someone could be waiting an hour for the cab to arrive from the other side of town. And if that cab saw a fare on the street, they were under no obligation to complete the booked ride. In Uber’s case especially, their app was designed to make ordering a taxi far faster and more reliable.
The Use of Uber
Driven by its then-CEO, Travis Kalanick, Uber quickly expanded to Europe and Asia. Funded by a collective of venture capitalists who were eager to see ride-hailing become the next big technology sector, the company spent billions every year to ensure it competed in almost every market.
Fast forward ten years and ride-hailing has established itself as a major industry, one which operators have used as a framework for other transportation opportunities, such as food delivery, freight shipping and self-driving.
Problems and Pressures
However, such a rapid advancement in the industry has come with problems. Among them has been passenger safety. Over the last few years, sexual harassment claims have been made against Uber drivers, and Uber have not responded adequately to claims by female riders.
Then there’s the matter of pay. Uber drivers have protested and taken legal action against their employment status and the money they make. It is clear that drivers do not receive the benefits that other employed workers receive.
Bigger Problems Ahead?
The unrest isn’t quietening down. The ride-hailing industry is facing a serious problem as drivers leave the industry, unable to sustain themselves on the money they make once the major companies have taken their substantial share. Indeed, a 2020 report from the JPMorgan Chase Institute indicated that Uber drivers earned 53% less than they had done four years before.
As the poster child of the industry, Uber in particular has faced fierce criticism for driver pay issues. In particular, surge pricing has come under the spotlight. The drivers cannot control their own pricing, so riders feel short-changed, but worse still, the drivers aren’t even seeing a bigger cut come their way through surge price modeling. Recently, a group of drivers in New York City have made it into the news, planning to sue Uber for failing to repay taxes they believe they are due.
And drivers across the U.S. have gone on strike in 2020 and 2021, protesting against their dwindling take-home pay. Things are getting get worse, not better. The industry is crying out for change — something that works for drivers and can be sustainable for companies.
Discovering DRIFE
DRIFE wants to redesign the ride-hailing industry for the better. Working on blockchain, decentralization is at the heart of DRIFE’s mission to disrupt the ride-hailing ecosystem and provide a much-needed solution to many of the sector’s current problems.
DRIFE are cutting out the middleman to ensure that 100% of rider fares go back into the drivers’ pockets. Drivers can set their own fares and riders can directly choose drivers, meaning no overheads, no uncontrollable surge pricing, and true flexibility and sustainability. In a saturated market, begging for innovation, DRIFE’s mission is to answer the burning questions and silence the industry critics by taking a truly new approach and putting their drivers first.
Driver Happy, Rider Happy
Such a radical approach has many benefits. Drivers are no longer forced to take rides and can make real profits. As a result, passengers get a driver who wants to be there and who gives everything they have with the service they provide. And in return, drivers get passengers who have selected them on their terms, with transparent fares and even a sense of loyalty. By giving the platform users control, DRIFE ensures that freedom and autonomy are a new industry standard, not an unattainable dream.
The People Have Spoken
As the highway of life speeds up again following the Covid-19 pandemic, every company out there is moving at a million miles an hour to try and keep pace. We need new voices that can identify problems and take the wheel. DRIFE is a company that understands how to get in gear and lead their industry to new heights. With DRIFE behind the wheel, the final destination for the ride-hailing industry can be one that matches purpose with profit and is truly people-focused.
It’s time for us to stop being passengers on board an industry that is veering out of control. It’s time to switch lanes and get on board with DRIFE.
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