So much for Uber to Lakeside

Spent Friday night in Guad and Ubered home. Here's the breakdown of their fee:

Total MX$787.33

Base fare MX$8.00
Time MX$176.80
Distance MX$262.32
Distance Surcharge MX$192.31

Normal Fare MX$639.43
Surge x1.2 MX$89.42

Subtotal MX$728.85
Wait Time MX$0.37
1.5% Government Contribution MX$8.93
Booking fee MX$49.18

Amount Charged

•••• 2002
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MX$787.33

For a day trip I have used Uber before going to and from and it was always less than 500 MXN each way. Usually 400 plus. Miguel, the driver charges 1200 round trip and hangs around to drive you around Guad. Uber is good for short hops but no more for from here to there and back.

We have used Miramontes several times this fall. Both of us had cataract surgery on both eyes which required 4 trips.
Each time (4) the charge for here to the Choza clinic, wait 2 hours and trip home was 1000 pesos. We felt that was most reasonable.
I have to question Uber charges. From what I have seen over the years in Canada where I did many Taxis owner tax returns, Uber's charges locally do not support the cost of operating a taxi. Uber seems to attract young driver/owners who are looking for a quick cash return maybe to help pay for their vehicle. They will be there for the short term but do not look for them in a couple of years.
With their 20 or 25% admin charge Uber is the only one making money on this gig.
We are the ones encouraging it with our need to save 3 or 4 dollars here and 10 dollars there. And we think we have made a great deal.
Most people have no idea what it really costs to operate a car especially a taxi. Look at the costs:
Cost of vehicle (one time large purchase)
Depreciation (think at least 45% 1st year for a taxi)
Cost of license (municipal taxi for car)+(personal taxi license)+ I94 to drive in the US ( Canadian costs but close to the US)
Annual vehicle license
Painting the vehicle to group specs and touch ups during the year
Group monthly fees
Purchase interest on bank loan
Insurance (commercial group. expensive)
Mechanical repairs (lets remember we drive over 100,000 miles a year).
Tires (at least 2 sets a year)
Gasoline. (at least 2 fills a day)
Daily in/out car wash (maybe an extra outside wash also)
Parking, tolls, fines, runners
Cost of night driver (or other shift)
And the list goes on!
On top of this you have to make a living wage
I spent 6 years driving a cab in the off season when there was no tax preparation while my partner ran the office 1/2 day a week. I have been there and it is a rugged business. Use our local drivers and make less of saving a dollar or 2.
Yes these are Canadian costs but costs here will be similar. Only the amount may be different
Also watch for the local operators who are charging ridiculous fees for trips to Guad malls when with a little organisation you can get a local van driver to take you to the same mall for a flat fee and get your friends to go along for a lower individual price.
So please support the local industry

I have found that Uber is pretty much non existent around here now. There are rarely drivers available anymore. They work well for getting around Guadalajara.

[quote="Carry Bean
Distance Surcharge   MX$192.31

.
[/quote]

What is a distance surcharge?

I guess it’s their fee for coming lakeside from Guad. I think that’s new and what jacked up the price. I use local drivers but I could hardly have a local driver overnight in Guadalajara to bring us back. For day trips yes. Uber also wanted 2300 pesos for an SUV to make a one way trip from Andares to lakeside. For half of that I could have had a local driver come to Guad, pick us up and bring us home. Uber is still cheap for zipping around Guadalajara. We did have a local driver take us there on Friday.

I think they are charging so much because there is very little business going back the other way so they are pretty much charging for a 2 way.....

Interesting thread. Thanks DaveP for the insight. Pretty expensive business to run.

In terms of the Lakeside to Guad wait and return, the 4 drivers I contacted all wanted 1200 which I thought was high since it only amounted to 5 hours total. Miramontes at 1000 seems more fair and they are surely insured and legal. However, a woman I was talking to at the Choza Clinic used one of the taxis from Ajijic and he only charged her 850. He was waiting for her too. 

I suspect gas is now too expensive for UBER guys to be able to make this run profitable.

there is no business both way so it makes it very expensive and not worth it.. very simple. Uber is great in large cities with lots of customers but for Lakeside, forget it.. Look at the cabs, they cannot get it together either. In San Cristobal we have cabs going anywhere and everywhere in the city for 30 pesos Here it is 70 pesos for 1km ride from te center to our house..

Trailrunner wrote:Interesting thread. Thanks DaveP for the insight. Pretty expensive business to run.

In terms of the Lakeside to Guad wait and return, the 4 drivers I contacted all wanted 1200 which I thought was high since it only amounted to 5 hours total. Miramontes at 1000 seems more fair and they are surely insured and legal. However, a woman I was talking to at the Choza Clinic used one of the taxis from Ajijic and he only charged her 850. He was waiting for her too. 

I suspect gas is now too expensive for UBER guys to be able to make this run profitable.

Gas is almost the cheapest cost of running a vehicle, parking is second