Ride-sharing apps like Uber have had a significant impact in cutting late-night traffic accidents in US and UK cities and could do the same for Cayman, experts believe.
Academic studies in both countries have shown statistically significant reductions in serious injuries and deaths from vehicle collisions in areas where ridership is high.
Uber is not currently operating in Cayman. Only licensed taxi drivers are authorised to take fares for rides and government limits the pool of licensees to a set quota.
Asked if it would consider allowing an Uber-like service in Cayman, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Infrastructure that has responsibility for transport referenced plans to upgrade the CI:GO taxi app to make it easier to book licensed taxis. She also suggested part-time taxi licences could soon be authorised to help meet increased demand in the evenings.
A previous effort to introduce a Cayman version of Uber – a ride-hailing app called Flex – struggled to gain traction amid regulatory challenges.
Safety and convenience
The impetus for Uber has been largely around convenience, but Michael Anderson, of the University of California, Berkeley, suggests it has also had a major impact on public safety in the US.
Anderson co-authored a study using detailed ridership data which showed a 5% reduction in total traffic deaths in areas where Uber operates. The study estimated uptake of Uber specifically saved 600 lives in the US in a single year. Meanwhile, similar research from Oxford University in the UK showed a 9% reduction in serious accidents.
“The impact is strongest at night and on weekends, which is consistent with the idea that ridesharing helps prevent drunk driving,” Anderson said.
There’s a simple logic that underpins that finding.
“Many drunk-driving decisions are not the product of rational, well-calculated decisions, so lowering the ‘friction’ of using an alternative form of transportation can have a big impact on people’s choices,” Anderson told the Compass.
“Our findings suggest that widespread ride-share availability reduces alcohol-related traffic deaths meaningfully, even without any changes to enforcement or public education campaigns.”
Ride-sharing could impact alcohol-related crashes
Cayman has recorded an average of 12 road fatalities annually over the last four years, many of them linked to alcohol consumption.
Given those trends, Anderson believes, Uber or a similar ride-hailing app would make a difference on the island.
“It is likely that ride-sharing could have a meaningful impact on alcohol-related accidents. The important factors for people choosing alternative modes of transport over driving under the influence are cost, convenience and dependability, all of which are addressed to some degree by a well-implemented ride-share system.”
To be successful – both economically and in terms of public-safety influence – he said platforms needed a sufficient number of drivers at the right times of day to ensure wait times were short enough. He added that creating a Cayman-specific app that required visitors to set up a new account rather than sticking with a familiar provider could also reduce uptake.
While licensed taxi operators have successfully resisted the implementation of Uber in some US cities, others have viewed such platforms as a lucrative means of self-employment for citizens.
A University of Oxford study using data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics found that when Uber rolled out in a US city, the number of self-employed drivers rose on average by 50%. There was also an increase in licensed taxi drivers, the study shows, though their wages fell by 10%.
One of the challenges in Cayman is a dual economy for transport. A steady stream of cruise passengers and air arrivals keeps taxi drivers busy during the day, but restaurants, bars and late-night diners often complain of lack of access late at night.
Asked if Cayman would consider introducing an Uber-type ride-share service for the evening hours, the spokesperson said efforts were currently focused on expanding the pool of licensed taxi drivers.
“The Ministry is asking Cabinet to open up the taxi pool, especially in light of the increased demand resulting from new hotels and entertainment venues. This will help expand the overall supply of taxis.
“Further, we plan to recommend to the Public Transport Board to allow part-time taxi drivers, so those employed elsewhere can legally drive a taxi in their off-hours. This will improve flexibility and increase availability late at night.”
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Flex hasn’t been very effective. People are accustomed to the mature, feature-rich Uber platform, refined over many years of user feedback. Flex feels more like a temporary patch than a real solution.
Taxis in Cayman are another challenge. They’re often unavailable, many refuse to leave George Town when transport is needed on Seven Mile Beach, and overcharging remains common. Drivers continue to apply multi–drop-off charges based on the pickup location, which makes no sense. Recently, my wife was quoted seventy-five dollars for a trip from the airport to Cook Quay — until I met her and the driver in the driveway and told him to bring out the rate book.
We’re simply tired of this. Public transport isn’t ready yet, and we have plenty of Caymanians who would welcome the chance to earn extra income in their spare time. The solution seems straightforward: introduce Uber, restrict drivers to Caymanians, and enforce the rules properly.
It sounds like an approach that could actually work.
As mentioned in previous comments, the Uber-like App ( Flex in Cayman) has already been tried and tested here during and after Covid. Unfortunately, due to the ostrich-like attitude of the then legislators and the protectionist attitude of the Transportation Board, it was impossible to get enough drivers willing to drive for Flex.
In order for Flex/Uber to work here it is essential that part-time drivers are allowed to earn additional monies for driving. Taxis are almost impossible to get after around 7pm whereas Caymanians wishing to earn extra money after work would be the ideal solution.
Dissolve the Tax cartel? Wondering why they still operate under a monopoly? Lets follow the money….
I agree 100 %. Taxi companies everywhere including Cayman, Are a prolific lobby spending lots of money buying politicians to protect their profits at the expense of citizens .
agree 300% — ruining the collective experience to spare the few is not leadership — BRING UBER
I support the introduction of an Uber type system.
However I’m not sure what effect it would have on local drunk driving unless the driver takes the ride share car in both directions.
If for the return journey only then they would have the problem of retrieving their car the following day.
We use Uber at home all the time when going out. Going to have 2 drinks or more?——we take an Uber.
Uber would be great on Cayman.
Perhaps limit Uber operation from 7pm-1am when it seems Taxis don’t want to operate. That would lessen the impact of the Taxi industry and make Uber profitable for drivers at the same time.
In my experience of 50+ years driving in Cayman, I have seen many examples of careless driving from taxi drivers. As that is their sole occupation I would expect to see fewer examples of this. Also I believe there is no age limit, is this still the case?.
Taxis in Georgetown are expensive and unreliable. If you’re not at the airport, you’re screwed.
Go to rideshare. I use it all over the world because it’s quick, and it works for the customer and spreads the income and tips to many more locals.
Unfortunately this government (and its predecessors) doesn’t take road safety very seriously and it is happy to remain behind the rest of the world. I wouldn’t expect any changes that would make a real difference and are road death rate will remain the same. The ministers in charge will instead tax businesses and increase the cost of living irrationally.
Can we start a polite protest to force Government reform like a petition? The comments so far are spot on. Sadly fhe taxi industry and its protectors have failed to change with the times and are now holding back the country’s tourism and local service. Those existing drivers who are keen will prosper under an Uber style environment. Young Caymanians and enterprising Caymanians will thrive with this opportunity. GOVERNMENT – GET OUT OF THE WAY!!
The time for taxi drivers to be protected is long gone. Our politicians should grasp that nettle and break the cartel.
I used Cayman Go the other day for the first time and it worked well. My driver was a young Caymanian who did a great job.
Better service for residents and more opportunity for young Caymanians seems like a no-brainer to me.
Island GO is an uber-like app that operates in Cayman.
How about we start with meters – even the poorest countries in the world have meters – they can even be run off a phone these days. It’s called transparency something that doesn’t exist in the Cayman Islands.