Uber, open skies & free markets mean better energy efficiency
Between February 2015 and September 2016, according to media reports, 700 Uber vehicles were seized in Quebec – including by the Quebec Automobile Insurance Corporation, a provincial Crown corporation. The government erected still more road blocks as some drivers were slapped with fines of more than $7,500. Though many politicians don’t like Uber, its services are popular with the public – largely because Uber tends to be much more affordable than taking taxis. One major reason Uber is cheaper is because of the cost savings arising from the fact that Uber drivers spend less time driving around without a passenger.
A recent study finds that UberX drivers are 50 percent more efficient than taxi drivers in terms of passengers per miles driven. Due to better technology and other factors, Uber is able to cut down not only on the time wasted when drivers cruise the streets without a passenger, but also on the gasoline wasted when this happens. Isn’t it strange, then, that the Quebec government reacted to this gasoline-saving transportation service by seizing Uber vehicles and slapping Uber drivers with fines to get them off the roads – all the while subsidizing electric and hybrid vehicles to the tune of up to $8,000 each, ostensibly to encourage more fuel-efficient transportation?