I’m sure you’ve seen them. The cars with the gigantic logos emblazoned on the side, or the pink mustaches hanging off the hood, zippin around the city with passengers crammed into the rear seats. Ridesharing and Taxi service have changed the face of city travel. In fact, throughout most metropolises across the globe, it has become the only way to get around. But, as with all good things, the industry has gotten crowded. Competition is fierce with new companies jumping on board vying for precious road real estate, and customers. They are literally at each other’s throats (look up Courtney love and her recent Uber ride in France if you don’t believe me).
So, what does that mean for us consumers sitting on the sidelines? Well, in short, it means competitive rates, better service and a whole slew of options; a veritable buffet of transportation choices for our choosing!
But lets be serious, with all the Ridesharing companies like Uber or Lyft and the mass of Taxi services, who has time to go from website to website, or app to app comparing and looking for the best rates.
So, How Do We Compare Ridesharing and Taxi Service Rates?
Well, enter RideGuru, a fare comparison site for Taxis and Ridesharing services, with indexes in thousands of locations worldwide. And if I’m to be truthful, it’s really about damn time considering we’ve had comparison sites for cheap airfare and hotel bookings for ages now.
It’s pretty simple. No download or account signup necessary. Just go to the site, type in your starting point and end point, and up pops the comparisons. That’s it!
Additionally, they are pretty transparent with how they arrive at the numbers, and any additional cost that you may incur.
Some Import Things to be Aware of When Using RideGuru
Unlike Airlines and Hotels that provide API’s to comparison sites for accurate pricing, the Ridesharing and Taxi service industries aren’t quite there yet. And although they do try to take into account traffic and surge pricing (ridesharing rates increasing with demand), real time market forces are tough to predict and to calculate. Consequently, RideGuru can only provide estimates, and so discrepancies from the actual cost will, and do, exist.
Additionally, what is most odd, and is in stark contrast to the companies they index, is the lack of a Smartphone travel app. Loading up the website, and scrolling to the calculator does make comparing rates rather inconvenient. They are working on an app, but for now, you’ll have to contend with just using the interface on your Smartphone
Still, accuracies and app aside, RideGuru and its competitors, like Whatsthefare.com, do provide an invaluable service. Even with the results being merely estimates, the sites can give you a range, and point you in the direction of the cheapest option.
Consider it as another cost saving tool to put more money in your pocket – and we all know that you can never have enough of those.
Now, if they can only do it for Tuk Tuks… Happy Travels!
Carey
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