The transportation game in Ottawa has recently gotten much more complicated. People are in a tizzy over the best way to get from point A to point B. Should you use the shiny new ride share services popping up, or the original cornerstone of transportation, Ottawa taxi companies? Alternatives to cans are grabbing a lot of headlines because of the purported benefits to the consumer, but contrary to popular belief, those benefits do not outweigh what Ottawa taxi companies have to offer.
Here are the top reasons to choose a taxi over ride share:
1. Security
A sense of security is pretty important when you’re in an unknown car with an unknown person. Thankfully, Ottawa taxi companies are required to have video cameras installed into all their vehicles for their safety and yours. Drivers also have to get police record checks and need to provide recent provincial driving records. You’ll get no such guarantee with a ride share.
2. Trained drivers
Ottawa taxi companies are required to have drivers that have gone through city-mandated training. This ensures the drivers have the necessary knowledge of customer service, the surrounding area and accessibility for passengers. If you’re with a ride share following a map program, they’ll likely have a tough time negotiating Ottawa’s everlasting construction season.
3. Legal
Legality: seems pretty important, right? “Ride share” is a pretty loose term and in many instances, isn’t legal in Ottawa. Rest assured that all Ottawa taxi companies all operate legally as do their drivers.
4. Regulated vehicles
The city requires all Ottawa taxis to have all of their vehicles inspected regularly and undergo a strict maintenance schedule. This is both for the customers and the drivers of the taxis. However, most ride share services put the onus on the driver to take care of any issues with their vehicle or the customer to alert them of anything that needs to be addressed. It’s safe to say that when anyone is paying for a ride, they’d prefer to not have to check out what’s under the hood before getting in the car.
With a long standing system in place designed to benefit the consumer, it’s clear that taxis are the best choice for your dollar. Ride share services simply don’t have the checks and balances built into them to provide the customer with the security, safety and lack of worrypeace of mind that they’re paying for along with their ride.
