It’s the hottest thing in the “sharing economy” today, but there’s a lot about the ride sharing app Uber — and its drivers — that you may not know. The upstart company has made waves in just about every city where it has launched its services – and for good reason. The Uber model of having regular people in their cars pick-up total strangers and drive them places is, effectively, doing away with professional, licensed taxi services in many cities. It is also changing the way people are compensated for their work and service … and Uber shows no signs of slowing down. The company continues to invade just about every territory it can. To date, Uber has launched in 58 countries and the number of people driving for Uber doubles every six months. Here are 10 things you likely didn’t know about Uber.
10. Cars Cannot Be More Than 10 Years Old
Many people assume (wrongly) that Uber is a free for all. A company where anything goes, and where just about anyone can become an Uber driver. The reality is that parent company Uber Technologies has some pretty stringent regulations and policies in place. When it comes to cars that can be used for ride sharing, they cannot be older than 10 years. Also, cars used by Uber chauffeurs must have four doors. Two doors are not allowed. If your Uber driver shows up to pick you up in a rusted out two door hatchback, that is a “no-no.” And Uber pays people in each area where it operates to vet both cars and drivers for the company. This is just a few of the ways in which Uber tries to preserve some semblance of professionalism and quality among its cars and drivers.
