Uber???

[mhmotors4]

Has anybody used Uber in Galveston? And if so is it cost worthy?

[okgirl]

Has anybody used Uber in Galveston? And if so is it cost worthy?

 

Uber is no longer allowed to operate in Galveston. Your best bet from the airport is Galveston Express. Or if you're needing to get to the pier from a local hotel call a taxi. Yellow cab lets you make reservations.

[gibby937]

Will Uber take you to a hotel on Galveston Island? Are they just banned from the port area? I was going to try and use them going to a hotel on the island. Then RCCL shuttle back to HOU.

[Galveston Cruiser]

Uber is banned in Galveston

[Pops, Esq.]

Thought you could Uber in, but can't be picked up in Galveston. Is that incorrect?

[Galveston Cruiser]

All I know is that Uber is banned from operating in Galveston, effective March 1st. Drivers are subject to fines if caught picking up or dropping off passengers.

I assume it would be up to the driver if he chooses to take a chance.

 

Since there would be no return passenger, I would think it would be less expensive and safer to take a taxi,

[Pops, Esq.]

Uber to the edge of town and taxi the rest of the way in?

Edited April 10, 2016 by Pops, Esq.

[Texas Tillie]

Uber to the edge of town and taxi the rest of the way in?

 

Are you planning on having Uber drop you off at the bridge before it goes into the city? Sounds like more trouble than it's worth and probably more expensive than finding a better way to get to Galveston!

[Pops, Esq.]

Are you planning on having Uber drop you off at the bridge before it goes into the city? Sounds like more trouble than it's worth and probably more expensive than finding a better way to get to Galveston!

 

 

Actually, I was joking.

[Galveston Cruiser]

In Galveston County Daily News this morning:

 

A Texas company, seeking to become Galveston’s first legal ride-hailing firm, could begin operating later this month.

 

Get Me, a Dallas-based company, applied for a permit of operating authority from the city last week, said Michael Vayner, the company’s city manager for Houston — and in Galveston, if Get Me begins operating on the island.

 

 

 

 

 

“I’m hoping we’ll have our permit early to mid-next week,” Vayner said on Friday.

 

 

Ride-hailing service let people use smartphone apps to book and pay for private car service.

 

 

Vayner said that he expected Get Me drivers to begin applying for chauffeurs’ licenses this week, after which the company could begin operating in the city by the end of April.

 

 

If that happens, Get Me will become the first such company to operate in Galveston since lead competitor Uber shut down its service within the city limits.

 

 

On Feb. 1, Uber stopped operating in Galveston, citing new rules approved by the city council. The rules require the company’s independent drivers to receive permits from the city and to submit to a background check that includes fingerprinting.

 

 

Uber had operated in Galveston for years, though the service was officially considered illegal. Drivers could be fined by police or taxi inspectors if they were caught in the city, for operating without proper licensing.

 

 

The rules approved by the council in January require ride-hailing companies to both apply for an annual permit of operating authority and pay a $150 application fee. Individual drivers must obtain a $10 chauffeur’s license. The same rules already applied to Galveston taxi drivers.

 

 

City officials have said Galveston’s rules mirror those in Houston.

 

 

Uber has abandoned Galveston and some other cities that have instituted fingerprint requirements, calling the rules onerous and unnecessary, because the company performed its own background check.

 

 

Get Me was founded in late 2014 and began operating in Houston last year. The company launched in Dallas and is also available in Austin and Las Vegas. Unlike Uber, the company has not objected to background check requirements.

 

 

“We believe in fingerprinting,” Vayner said. “For us, it’s a major thing. It’s better for people to feel safe.”

 

 

Like other ride-hailing services, Get Me operates through a smartphone application that connects riders with independent drivers. Unlike Uber, the company does not change its fare prices based on demand, Vayner said. There are different fares for day time and night time rides, however.

 

 

The company also offers to perform pickups and deliveries, Vayner said.

 

 

Sixty drivers have been recruited in anticipation of Get Me’s expansion to Galveston, Vayner said. Because the drivers are independent, there’s no guarantee how many are operating in Galveston at one time.

 

 

There will be more rides available for people traveling from the Galveston cruise terminals, Vayner said, but he said he thought some drivers will serve locals trying to get a ride as well.

 

 

“I believe it can completely meet local demand,” Vayner said. “It’s not just for tourists.”

[BrotherCraig]

Uber is not suppose to operate in Galveston. Sometimes a Uber drive will take you there but they will hassle you for more money (ask to throw in an extra $40) which I think is wrong. We use Uber a lot here in Houston but I heard stories about taking them to Galveston. Best bet is using Galveston Express or somethings similar.