The Risks Of Using Ride-Sharing Services For Your Transportation Needs
Transportation services come in many forms and the latest form is through smartphone apps that are designed to offer ride-sharing services. While ride-sharing services are becoming popular, they also come with risks and dangers. When you thoroughly research ride-sharing services, you might find out that it is better to stick with a traditional type of shuttle service the next time you need transportation services.
What Is Ride-Sharing?
Ride-sharing companies offer services that allow you to hitch rides with complete strangers for prices that might be cheaper than what you would pay through a taxi or shuttle service. These services were designed as a way to help normal people make extra money by offering rides to people that need transportation services. It was also designed as a way to help people save money on transportation services.
While using this service can work out well in many cases, there are also some dangers and problems with it.
What's Wrong With Using Ride-Sharing Services?
The risks you are taking when you use this service might not be worth the small amount of money you are saving by using it. Here are some of the dangers and problems you may encounter when using a ride-sharing service like this:
- You do not know the driver – While you may not know the driver of the taxi or bus that picks you up, you can rely on the reputation of the company the driver works for. All shuttle service companies place drivers through rigorous background screenings before hiring them. With a ride-sharing service, you have no clue if the driver has been screened.
- The driver might not have insurance – If you end up in an accident that was caused by the driver, you could encounter problems if he or she did not have the proper insurance coverage. When you use a shuttle company, you can be certain that they have all the legal insurance requirements needed to operate this type of business.
- There is no recourse – If you are supposed to catch a flight and are depending on a ride-sharing service to pick you up, what happens when the driver doesn't show up? If this happens, there is really nothing you can do about it. You may end up missing your flight or being late to an important meeting, yet you will have no way of receiving compensation for this.
Ride-sharing services are often cheaper, but you should realize what the risks are before choosing this option. Once you discover these things, you may agree that hiring a shuttle service to get where you need to go is a better route to take.