Uber, a convenient smartphone app that helps connect people with local ride shares, has gained massive popularity in the Sacramento area within the last two years. It is clear that the rideshare company has taken a different and better approach to the car service experience.

The fairly new car service company has improved the cab ride experience with efficiency, friendly customer service and a more reasonable ride fare.

Uber allows its users to request a ride using their smartphone, get picked up in a black Lincoln town car or an SUV and pay for their trip online, eliminating the process of handling cash or credit between the passenger and driver. This process has made the rideshare experience more pleasant and convenient compared to the old-fashioned taxi ride.

Not only is the car service efficient, but it is also cheap. Rides from Downtown to the Sacramento airport are a $35 flat fee, and Uber frequently offers discounted rides on holidays and weekends. There is also no expectation to add a tip, a huge plus.

The local taxi companies have not been on board with the new Uber craze. The lower prices and convenience of a smartphone app has taken away many of the cab company’s clients.

In an article by Sacramento News and Review, Lien Hoang writes that Sacramento cab drivers are losing 50-60 percent of their income and waiting twice as long in-between customers since the launch of Uber.

Unlike taxi drivers, rideshare drivers are not required to acquire permits, submit to drug tests or release DMV records. Just this past June, many cab drivers from Sacramento and San Francisco rallied in front of the Capitol building to protest Uber and Lyft, a similar rideshare company.

The bill AB 612 failed to pass earlier this week. Created by Assemblyman Adrin Nazarian, AB 612 would have required Uber and Lyft drivers to submit to the same driver background checks and drug and alcohol screenings as the drivers of cab companies.

Although some would argue the importance of drug screening and background checks, submitting to these regulations would potentially raise the prices of Uber fares.

Uber currently administers its own background checks and attains DMV records before hiring a driver. It is not necessary for the drivers to submit to the same regulations as taxi drivers, especially at the expense of the passengers.

In addition to performing its own background checks, Uber also provides its drivers with a $1 million insurance policy for passengers when they are in ‘ride mode’. A company would not invest that much money if they did not believe they hired safe and professional drivers.

Jeffrey Pantoja, a 26-year-old Uber driver in Sacramento, talked about his position on AB 612 and the taxi driver said in a phone interview: “I do not believe that we need to have the same regulations as the taxi companies. I have to wash my car every three days, I offer water and gum to my passengers, I let them listen to their own music and I create a connection to gain regular customers. It’s a whole different ballgame compared to the cab companies, so we should be given our own specific regulations and not adhere to theirs.”

If the cab companies want to keep up with their competition, they should consider stepping up their game. Uber makes up for some of the small things that the cab companies lack.

It is not just about getting to the destination; friendly interactions between driver and passenger, regularly cleaned vehicles and reasonable prices has made it a no-brainer to make the switch to Uber.