Uber launches ride-sharing app in Charleston, across South Carolina
By Abigail Darlington, The Post and Courier, Charleston, S.C. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
UberX, a GPS-enabled app that connects passengers to freelance drivers, launches in
Drivers that have registered with the company use a GPS-enabled app to find passengers nearby, and passengers use the app to order rides and pay for them ahead of time using a credit card.
The app has sparked debate in cities across the country over the issue of taxi regulations because unlike traditional cab drivers, UberX drivers use their own cars and personal automobile insurance, and they're not typically licensed by city or state legislatures to give people rides for fares. The company behind UberX said it's self-regulating because it requires its drivers to pass state and federal background checks, vehicle inspections and provide up-to-date auto insurance information.
Company officials with
"
He said drivers take home 80 percent of their fares, and if business is slow at first, the company guarantees at least a
Wimer also explained the auto insurance policy to drivers at the meeting, which has been a hot-button issue in other cities. He said their personal policies would be their primary coverage while on the job, and if their insurers refuse coverage in the event of an accident, he said, Uber's secondary insurance policy of
Those who partner with the company as UberX drivers in
Generally speaking, basic auto insurance policies would not cover drivers using their personal cars as public transportation, said
Also, city and state officials have geared up for Uber's first launch in
The city of
"The current parameters in cities, particularly there (in
"I think most people will hopefully see the dangers of this and continue using registered transportation services to get around," he said. "It's not like the transportation industry isn't capable of staying up with technology. We'll be able to do the same things with our app, we'll just be able to do it legally."
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Study: Car insurance rates vary widely in NH; are more expensive in Mass.
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