Find out who the biggest players are, meet the new guys on the scene and learn what Canada’s rideshare companies are all about!
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Get to Know the Rideshare Companies
Technology has revolutionized the traditional meaning of rideshare. Before global giants like Uber, people posted on forums looking to carpool with someone to work or hitch a ride across long distances and split the gas.
The global rideshare giant Uber has turned that concept into an app that provides individuals with their own car a part-time or full-time living.
More and more competitors have now entered the market fighting for space in Canada’s largest cities. Let’s meet them and see what they are all about!
Select a rideshare company below
Uber
Uber is the largest rideshare company in Canada and operates in markets all over the world. They revolutionised the industry, prompting regulators to play catch up with the new technology and business model.
Like Lyft, it’s takes 25% commission from drivers fares and its surge pricing enables drivers to rake in big money when demand skyrockets. They were the first into the market and continue to be the busiest and most prominent rideshare company. They are now operating in many markets in Ontario as well as Alberta and Quebec.
Uber is the only rideshare company that allows drivers to deliver food with its app UberEATS. Some drivers opt to only deliver food while others do so in addition to ferrying passengers around town.
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Lyft
Lyft is the major competitor to Uber in the US and launched in Toronto in fall 2017, marking its first international market. Lyft originally became recongizable by their iconic pink mustaches on the cars but now have coloured beacons to identify their drivers.
Lyft’s rates and commissions are completely on par with Uber and also have dynamic pricing called PrimeTime which is similar to Uber’s Surge pricing. They have announced they are breaking into the Ottawa market in 2018 and already filed the regulatory paperwork with the City. Drivers in the US have reported that their driver support team is easier to deal compared to Uber support.
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TappCar
TappCar is the only rideshare company competing with Uber in Alberta, operating exclusively in Edmonton & Alberta. They managed to beat out Uber for the exclusive opportunity to do pickups at the Edmonton International Airport.
They are unique from other rideshare companies in that phone support is readily available and rides can be scheduled in advance. They also do not promote surge pricing and let customers pay in cash.
Facedrive
Facedrive launched in Toronto in the fall of 2017. They became the first Uber competitor in Toronto once the city licensed the rideshare business in 2016.
Facedrive sets itself apart as the only rideshare app that lets the rider choose from an electric, hybrid or gas powered vehicle. When they take a ride with a Facedrive Driver, the company estimates the carbon emissions from the trip and donates a portion to plant trees in partnership with Toronto Parks and Trees Foundation.
They are also the only company to offer drivers shares in the company after a certain period of driving. The rates of pay for drivers is on par with its competitors but they only takes 10%-15% of the fare compared to Uber and Lyft who take 25% on average. They plan on launching in Stockholm and Montreal in 2018.
RideCo
RideCo currently only operates in the Kitchener-Waterloo region of Ontario, though they have been part of some pilot projects with Milton GO Transit and shared van service in Liberty Village, Toronto.
RideCo currently only offer shared rides for customers, so drivers would pick up people that are in the same general area heading in roughly the same direction. This is similar to Uber’s service known as UberPOOL and Lyft’s Line, though not yet available in Toronto.
RideCo is currently only available on the Android platform though drivers can obtain a device with the company through a couple different arrangements. Aside from the shared-ride service, they are different than Uber by offering drivers a per kilometre fee for long pickups and a per minute rate to go online to wait for trips in certain areas.
URide
URide was launched in 2017 in the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Founder and CEO Cody Ruberto saw a need for a safe way for party goers to get home from the pub on the weekend. Often times there would be a long wait time for cab rides which would lead to some patrons driving home after a few pints.
Now, the company operates in many smaller cities across Canada. They chose to set up in smaller cities because they often are lacking in transportation options for citizens. The giants like Uber and Lyft usually see these markets as too small to be profitable which lowers competition for budding rideshare platforms.
URide offers many service types, from 4 passenger to 6 passenger sized vehicles. They have many of the same features as Uber does, rating systems for drivers and passengers, cashless payment, option to tip.
For drivers the best part is the flexibility and freedom URide provides. Drivers can work anytime they want as the platform operates 24/7 and they are paid directly into their bank account on a weekly basis.
