This was bound to happen – first, came the emergence of the truly disruptive sharing economy – the consequence of our new world of instants — connectivity, information retrieval, and gratification for just about everything. The sharing economy is defined as an economic eco-system built around the sharing of resources. The lines are blurred between personal and professional, and fully employed and casual labor. And the one business that has grown exponentially, less than a decade old is ride-sharing, through Uber, Lyft,and others.
The two dominant players in ride sharing are Uber, and Lyft But more are on the way. And because of rapid growth and intense competition, a new rideshare cost comparison application, YayYo, the only one of its kind, has just been launched in September 2016. And, according to its founder, Ramy El Batrawi, it provides important comparative cost information, so the consumer can decide which ridesharing company he or she wants to use, based on the best rate, in real time.
“YayYo is the only ride-share comparison app available and compares wait times, cars and tells you when you will be at your final destination. If you sign up at YayYo, you will get two free rides immediately,” says Ramy El-Batrawi, Founder of YayYo.
There are multiple other one-of-a-kind options offered by YayYo, all associated with the most reliable ridesharing companies in existence right now, including Uber and Lyft.
Uber was founded in 2009, and started with a simple idea: a service that arranges one-time shared rides on very short notice, usually arranged through a smartphone app. In December 2016, Uber was valued at $68 billion, having taken just 7 years to surpass the valuation of 100-year-old companies like General Motors and Ford, as well as traditional transportation companies like Hertz and Avis. Lyft, Uber’s main competitor, also offers everyday cars for daily use. Lyft is known for their down-to-earth approach, encouraging riders to ride in the front passenger seat so they can talk to the drivers.
Ride sharing’s root systems are now tied to three recent technological advances: GPS navigation devices, smartphones, and social networks, allowing riders to simply press a button and get paired with a driver, who then comes and picks them up.
While Uber and Lyft, have taken hold of the transportation industry right now, other U.S. ridesharing companies are emerging, and quickly.
1. YayYo — The Kayak of all ride-sharing services. This revolutionary app compares all the other rideshare apps and public transportation and lists prices, and arrival/departure times. Register at YayYo for 2 free rides when the app launches October 2016.
2. Carma — a carpooling service in Austin, Texas, San Francisco and Bergen. N.J. The company has set itself apart by trying to appeal specifically to work trip commutes. After getting the car you’re sharing, you just start the app and it begins logging your journey. When you hit “end trip,” it automatically reimburses the driver. www.gocarma.com
3. Getaround is peer-to-peer car sharing and rental service combined. Its social car sharing, but with hourly and daily rental rates. Insurance is included in the cost. www.getaround.com 4. JustShareIt rents vehicles in your neighborhood when you’re going to work or wherever you’re traveling. It’s an hourly rental service for cars, trucks, vans, and RVs. www.justshareit.com
4. Zimride. Enterprise Rent-A-Car is the company that developed Zimride that uses social networking to connect drivers going to the same destinations. Ride payouts are made through PayPal. www.zimride.com
5. Car2Go is a fleet of eco-friendly Smart cars that are accessed with a card, and allows you to use the service in any of its cities in the North America and Europe. It requires a one-time fee of $35, plus the cost of the time you spend in the car (150 miles are included in the trip in the US.) www.car2go.com
6. See Jane Go is a company, operating in Orange County, California, who pairs women drivers with women passengers. A father named William Jordan conceptualized the idea, as he wanted to keep his daughters as safe as they could be. “Being able to do things that make women especially comfortable and enjoy the ride, well beyond just getting from point A to point B, is what we’re all about,” explained Kimberly Toonen, CEO of See Jane Go.
7. Green Commuter — a company that uses all electric cars, including Tesla. Right now, the company offers services in Los Angeles, California, and Chattanooga, Tennessee.
“Tesla offers the 7 seat capacity that we need for the van pool, the long range we need for the vehicle to be repurposed and be used during the day, and it’s all electric and zero emissions, which is our goal to use zero-emissions vehicles,” said Gustavo Occhiuzzo, CEO of Green Commuter. The company’s special software enables commuters to ride to work in a shared Tesla Model X, and when it’s not rush hour, members can request a ride to wherever they need to go.
8. Google Waze —Google recently moved onto Uber’s turf with a ride-sharing service to help San Francisco commuters join carpools.
Google began the pilot program around its California headquarters in May that enables several thousand area workers at specific firms to use the Waze app to connect with fellow commuters. It plans to open the program to all San Francisco-area Waze users this fall. Unlike Uber and its crosstown San Francisco rival Lyft Inc., Waze wants to connect riders with drivers who are already headed in the same direction.
9. Bubbl This ride-sharing program is only in Dallas for now, but it may become more viral as time goes on. The drivers are off-duty retired police officers and the riders are children, who can be taken to and from camp, sporting events, playdates or wherever they need to be – on time, and reliably.
10. Turo (used to be RelayRides) is a peer-to-peer car sharing marketplace. Car owners can rent out their vehicles to people and set their own prices. Relay Rides also offers service at airports now. www.turo.com
Including Uber and Lyft, there are eleven right now. But the idea — ride-sharing is so strong, and the competition is so fierce that more will surely be launched in the coming weeks and months. Stay tuned!
By DLX contributORT Susan Kime.
