Uber Taxi App a Fit for Santa Barbara?

When technology start-up Uber launched in town two months ago, Santa Barbara became one of 65 cities in the world where users can hail a taxi at “a push of the button.” The $3.4-billion company has rapidly expanded to international cities, including Santiago, Paris, New Delhi, and Dubai, since it was founded in San Francisco in 2009, but angry cabbies, lawsuits, and state and city regulations have continuously threatened the cab-hailing smartphone app that connects millions of riders to tens of thousands of personal drivers.

“Think Expedia for ground transportation,” said Andy Iro, who is running Santa Barbara’s Uber operations. He explained that when users enter their desired destination, the app locates them via GPS and connects them to a nearby driver. The user receives a text message with info about the driver, estimated time of arrival, and a flat fee. After the ride, the customer’s pre-stored credit card or PayPal account is charged. (Tips are not expected, a fact that has prompted a class-action lawsuit from Uber drivers in San Francisco.)

Uber also offers a lower-cost option called UberX, which connects users with drivers in their private cars ​— ​the vehicles have to be four-door sedans made no earlier than 2006 ​— ​and is about 30 percent cheaper than a typical cab fare, Iro said. An UberX ride from UCSB to downtown is $25, while the trip in a normal cab typically exceeds $35.