Transportation for the Elderly

Ride-sharing apps, such as Uber and Lyft, have a gained a lot of attention over the past couple of years. This is because these apps are extremely easy to use. You download the app and request a driver wherever you happen to be. If available, a driver is dispatched to your location and you are able to get a ride home or to your next destination. However, while there are some upsides to ride-sharing apps, there are still many benefits to using a traditional taxi cab service. Learning about these benefits will help you determine whether a taxi service is ideal for you when you need a ride somewhere.

You Can Pre-Book

One of the biggest benefits that a taxi service has over some of the biggest ride-sharing apps is that you can pre-book your taxi ride. If you need to be somewhere at a set time, such as a doctor's appointment or at the airport, you don't want to have to sit around and wait for a driver to become available. Unfortunately, when you use a ride-sharing app, it is first come, first serve. And because the drivers are freelance workers, they may set their own schedule. As such, a company may have very few drivers available on any given day, without any notice. This can leave you in a bind. This won't happen with taxi services, as they allow you to request a ride ahead of time.

You Can Get a Taxi Quickly at the Airport

Another advantage taxi services have over ride-sharing apps is that taxi companies are licensed to pick passengers up at airports across the country and wait in terminals for passengers to arrive. On the flip side, many counties and states have made it hard for ride-sharing apps to pick up passengers at the airport. Some airports will not allow ride-sharing apps to wait at the airport for passengers to arrive, meaning that if you request a ride from one of these apps, you will have to wait for the company to drive out to you. If a taxi is already waiting at a taxi area, this may not make sense. Other airports have banned ride-sharing apps from picking up passengers at the airports altogether. As such, if you are traveling, you know that you will be able to get an a taxi quickly and easily, which may not always be the case with ride-sharing apps.

Taxi Companies are Regulated

The last benefit to utilizing the services of a taxi cab company is that you are using the services of a regulated business. If you feel the driver took a longer route simply to drive your bill up, the company that licenses the taxi companies in your area will listen to your complaints and concerns and help you come to a fair resolution. If you feel the car you were riding in was unsafe, you have an agency that you can take your complaints to. Unfortunately, the same can't be said with ride-sharing apps. If you are unhappy with the driver, you can notify the company itself, but they are under no obligation to work with you. They do not follow the same rules and regulations that taxi companies and their drivers do, though many states are working quickly to change the laws and begin to regulate these services. This may limit your options if you are unhappy with the service you have received.

If you need a ride somewhere, you may find yourself debating whether a ride-sharing app or taxi service makes more sense for you. Some of the benefits that a taxi service has over a ride-sharing apps is that you can pre-book your rides, you can get a taxi quickly at the airport and taxi companies are regulated. Learning about the benefits and weighing the benefits with your needs will help you make an informed decision as to which transportation method is ideal for your situation. For more information, contact a local taxi companies like White Top Cab Company.