Why Cuenca needs Uber

By Ray Horsley

For a walking town Cuenca certainly has its share of riding options. We have buses, taxis, bike rentals, that new train, even our own airport. Still, we could benefit from the addition of Uber as an alternative to taxi cabs. Uber is widely used all across South America. Even Quito has Uber and similar online services. Why doesn’t Cuenca?

We all probably have taxi horror stories. I once got out seven blocks early the guy was driving so recklessly. He’d also jimmied the meter to spin much faster than normal. Two nights ago my taxi driver was literally watching a movie on his cell phone. He had neatly tucked it between his left leg and the door. I had to prompt him when red lights changed. These are admittedly exceptions, so let’s look at the norms.

First and foremost in just one word; seat belts. OK, that’s two words, but I’ve been riding taxis in Cuenca for nearly seven years and I rarely find one with workable, findable seat belts. I usually end up digging in that crack where the rear seat joins its seat back, a dirty, sometimes painful process which at best provides me with a seat belt just as I reach my destination. The front seat gives me a better chance of obeying the law, not to mention avoid being ejected from the vehicle if there’s an accident. But the front seat is where many drivers keep personal stuff. This makes it awkward for me to get in. It also leaves me with a less than happy driver clearing a space for me while I wait, standing on the street, traffic bearing down, horns blowing and cars threatening to rear end both the taxi and me. And if I’m out with my girlfriend, me in the front seat making small talk with the driver, her in the back, alone, well, it’s a less-than-romantic way to end an evening out.

Less frequent than the ubiquitous seat belt problem is the meter problem. From time to time I look up and the thing’s not running. I usually catch this, but that means I have to police the taxi drivers in this way. If it’s turned on halfway through the trip it leaves me feeling bad as the driver may be getting short changed. Other times, when I bring this to the driver’s attention, I’m told the meter “doesn’t work”. Then he gives me a flat fee which I know is inflated. Now what do we do? It may be only a dollar extra I’ll pay, but I don’t like the idea of encouraging an attitude I see all too often; that the only way to get ahead in this world is by cheating.

A problem which doesn’t bother me as much as it does my Ecuadorian girlfriend is getting grilled. “Where you from? How’d you pick Cuenca? How long have you lived here? Where do you live? Did you buy property? How much do you pay in rent? Are you retired? Where does your family live? Do they ever visit you here?” The questions only end when the trip ends. My girlfriend thinks they’re casing me somehow. I think they’re just bored, but we never get this king of interrogation with Uber.

Still another problem, this one present on every trip, is paying. This is actually a threefold issue. The first is the germs spread as we handle cash. Second, it’s one more way we encourage counterfeiting bills. What better place to pass a counterfeit $20 than an untraceable cab ride for only $1.50. Third, it’s dangerous. I’ve lost count of the friends I’ve made here in Cuenca who broke a wrist or an ankle falling while getting out of a cab. Come to think of it, it’s the perfect place to fall. You’re in an unfamiliar vehicle, low to the ground and awkward to get up and out of. You’re fussing with packages. You wanna make sure you don’t leave behind your glasses or your phone. You’re getting out onto a rough patch of concrete. Whoops! Be sure to step up for that curb. And there’s a good possibility you’re doing all this in the dark. If you also have to fumble passing a bill or coins through some little pocket, get your change passed back through it, secure your cash somewhere, you end up stressed. Worst of all, you’re in a hurry! Taking your time would be inconvenient to the traffic behind you. Wouldn’t wanna do that. Add all this up and you fall down, something that could mean painful surgeries and recovery. You may never fully recover.

The process of securing a trip in the first place has its pros and cons regardless as to whether it’s a taxi or Uber. To be sure, Uber does not always guarantee a ride. Sometimes the driver cancels your trip after you’ve waited a few minutes. Sometimes you have to wait longer than normal for the ride to show up. But getting a taxi is also no guarantee. Sometimes they’re simply not present. Other times they seem to endlessly parade by, each one already taking passengers somewhere. And sometimes it’s raining! Now you’ve got to stand in the street waving your hand while you get wet. Uber addresses the standing-in-the-rain problem since you can track your driver’s location from a dry place till he’s right outside your door. In any event, let’s just say the issues of securing a trip, taxi or Uber, cancel themselves out. Now we can look at the other issues which Uber clearly resolves.

Nearly all are handled with the one thing taxis lack; consequences. Every Uber trip offers a quick and simple way to rate drivers and their cars. You can also upload an opinion. If riders post a less than 5 star rating complaining about the lack of seat belts for example, those Uber drivers aren’t going to stay in business long. And they shouldn’t. Not wearing a seat belt risks death, no matter what speed you’re driving at, especially with drivers watching movies. It’s these opinions and ratings that Uber has, consequences, that bring everything into line. Even better, these consequences are a two-way street. Uber drivers rate and post their own opinions of the riders they serve. I once asked a taxi driver why he buried the latching end of his rear seat belts in the back of the seat. He told me he was tired of mothers getting in with unruly kids who played with them, even damaging the upholstery. OK, I get that.

But fixing the ill-behaved kid problem at the expense of spinal injury and brain damage is not the answer. With Uber, this driver could submit his own opinion about the mom who refused to keep her kids in line. She’d soon realize nobody wants to take her anywhere. Word would get around. Don’t let your kids do that. This would also work well for those Calle Larga revelers who drink so much they throw up in the back of a taxi. Do that with an Uber trip and you may never be able to use the service again.

Aside from the seat belt issue, Uber solves the germs problem; no more handling bills and coins. It also reduces incentive to counterfeit money, and I imagine it would be safer for the drivers themselves to carry less cash. It also eliminates the ‘meter not running’ problem. And unlike taxis, you know exactly how much your Uber trip will cost before you commit. You can even adjust the cost by choosing what kind of car you prefer, basic or luxury. The use of cards instead of cash would also be attractive to visitors from countries who are not on the dollar; less need to exchange money, run around with cash, and then wonder what to do with it when you leave. Finally, when you reach your Uber destination, you simply say thank you and get out. You still have to make sure you don’t leave personal items behind, but with no passing bills and coins back and forth you’ll more than likely reduce the risk of falling in the gutter. Even if you do leave something in the car, the chances you can get it back are highly likely with an identifiable, traceable and contactable Uber driver. Leave an expensive phone with a completely anonymous taxi driver who disappears into the city? Good luck.

I’m not sure what the deal is with Cuenca disallowing Uber. Who’s benefiting from this protectionism? In the end Uber would not only benefit riders, it would benefit drivers with a safer cash-free work environment, less misbehaved kids, no more Friday night pukers and less temptation to cheat.

Cuenca should stop disallowing Uber.