No stopping Uber in Texas

There is something cool about being able to arrive in a foreign city, press a button, and within minutes a car arrives to collect you.

Metered taxis have been around, but I was never comfortable with the whole money-negotiating-fighting part of a taxi ride. I like to know how much a trip costs. I don’t want to haggle, I don’t want to watch every turn and wonder why the driver is going a specific route while thinking this is just a way to rip me off.

I am a big fan of Uber and it is one of the items I always check before I leave for any trip just as I check the hotel reviews before I book.

Today, Texas took a big step in the on demand service with a law that goes into effect immediately: ridesharing is now legal across all of Texas.
According to Uber statement:

“Texas officially joined the list of 42 other states that have embraced ridesharing by implementing consistent, modern regulations at the statewide level. As a result, Texas will have the same rules for ridesharing across the state—mandatory safety screenings and driving history checks for all drivers, consistent requirements from city to city, and commitments to expand accessibility for riders with disabilities.”

This is certainly going to be very convinient especially when I attend one of my favorite tech events, SXSW which is located in Austin Texas where Uber was previously not allowed to operate.

In Texas, Uber employs 150 staff and operates in 20 cities. Beyond the traditional Uber transport service, Uber has also launched UberEATS (food delivery service) and Uber Freight (Freight shipping service).