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Originally Posted by Lebenz
Thanks! I’ll check out the link you posted. Do you think a wage in the $38K range is reasonable for someone who works as a driver? Should a system such as I described accept tips as custom?
I've been reading a bit from the Gates foundation and am putting together a letter of proposal for a research grant. I have no real aspirations of making money from this venture, but wouldn’t turn it down. It seems such a logical and even natural solution to many of the problems related to transportation, it appears to fall under the category of a better built mouse trap.
Given how government supports corporate welfare, were they presented with a proposal that would employ ~ 50K people in any popular county, you just know they’d do dang near anything for the opportunity. Gates himself ought to like the computer based routing system as it has countless applications, and he is almost alone in the planet as having the resources to develop the concept.
In a different light, our community is wrestling with spending about 3-4 billion dollars to fix a broken roadway. My hip shot estimates say that that money spent on the system I outlined would likely eliminate the need for the roadway.
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I looked at the link (Oakland paratransit) a bit more and I don't how much useful info there might be there for you. I doubt the drivers in that deal make $38 K a year, which would not be bad at all for the average driver. At 2000 hours a year, that's $19 per hour -- take home $14 perhaps -- and most cabbies would be happy with an average of $140 for a ten hour day. Some do that regularly -- night shift in SF -- but though I used to make that much in Seattle in the 80s, I rarely did that well around here in the 90s. $38 K is about what a starting teacher makes, so for drivers, I'd say it would be not bad.
I've not been there since '73, but I hear that in Wash, DC, they have a zone system for determining fares. It's common practice for drivers to pick up flags even while carrying other passengers. People just pay based on how many zones they went through. I've heard that drivers and passengers both like the system because it means less waiting for the riders, and more reliable income for the drivers. I could be wrong on this, it's all based on what I've heard only.
ps: On tips, I imagine old habits will endure. I would think the tips could be smaller, and still be generous, if the total ridership is significantly larger. But at $38 K a year, reduced or no tips wouldn't be as big a drawback as compared to regular cabbing. I was often amazed at how big the tips I got were. A $2 fare would often bring $3. 20 to 50 % was halfway common. Might have something to do with the 'trusting your life to the driver' phenomenon -- that and the well known dangers of cab driving.