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Opinion | A smart Hong Kong would embrace Uber
- Ride-hailing services like Uber offer cleaner, more efficient urban transport which cuts the need for car ownership and therefore traffic and pollution
- Uber is not the ultimate answer, but fully adopting the service is a step in the right direction if Hong Kong aims to be a smart city
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Why do people pay a premium to hail an Uber ride instead of a taxi? The difference is not insignificant: an Uber can easily cost up to 15-20 per cent more.
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Uber is not perfect. In my experience, there were times when the app could not find a driver, confirmed rides were cancelled without explanation or took much longer than indicated. Sometimes the ride itself was a poor experience although, for me, this happened rarely.
But people continue to pay more to use Uber, citing cleaner vehicles, more comfortable rides and a better attitude from drivers. It certainly appears to offer more than the conventional taxi service and perhaps there is more than meets the eye with Uber’s popularity.
So, last year, I conducted an experiment. For one month, I took Uber to work every morning, across the harbour, rain or shine. For those 20 working days, the luxury service set me back about HK$3,000; the monthly expense is certainly not low.
But I finally realised what value Uber was providing – and I do not mean the simple convenience of taking me from A to B.
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A lot of the debate over Uber is about the sharing economy, the negative impact on the taxi industry, licences and insurance concerns. As a designer, however, I see how Uber benefits urban development and transport.
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