{"id":3234,"date":"2015-10-06T07:23:08","date_gmt":"2015-10-06T11:23:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.taxifarefinder.com\/newsroom\/?p=3234"},"modified":"2015-10-02T15:24:31","modified_gmt":"2015-10-02T19:24:31","slug":"why-senior-citizens-are-flocking-to-uber","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.taxifarefinder.com\/newsroom\/2015\/10\/06\/why-senior-citizens-are-flocking-to-uber\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Senior Citizens Are Flocking to Uber"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>I still remember the first senior citizen I picked up as an Uber driver<\/a>. \u00a0He was 85, and visiting Los Angeles from Chicago for two weeks. \u00a0The gentleman was a retired museum curator but\u00a0he had graciously volunteered his time to work with a local museum on a new project. \u00a0He knew absolutely no\u00a0one out here but before he left Chicago, his\u00a0nephew had loaded the Uber app on to his smart phone so he could get around LA.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0ride request came in just south of Sunset Blvd. and as I scooted over there, I saw that my passenger was calling me. \u00a0This was kind of an odd occurrence but I answered the call\u00a0and we arranged a pick-up location (normally I just drive to the pin and the passenger gets a notification that I\u2019ve arrived). \u00a0But he was able to quickly describe where he was, and within minutes, he was sitting in my front seat as we headed towards Hollywood.<\/p>\n

\"(Why<\/p>\n

That ride was over a year ago and in the time since, there\u2019s been a significant up tick in Uber rides given to senior citizen passengers. \u00a0One Uber driver I spoke with, named Martha Voorhees, told me that \u201c40% of my clients are seniors. \u00a0They have smart phones, their grandchildren have loaded the app and they were taught how to use it. \u00a0Then from there, they teach others how to use it. \u00a0It\u2019s quite viral in the senior group.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a well known fact that the United States is seeing a dramatic\u00a0shift in the age demographic of the population. \u00a0Census data<\/a> from 2012 found that 76 million baby boomers\u00a0(those born between\u00a01946 to 1964)\u00a0were living in the US\u00a0at the time. \u00a0And projections from the Census Bureau also suggest that 71.4 million people will be age 65 or older in 2029, or 20 percent of the US.<\/p>\n

The social\u00a0impact of this aging demographic has been discussed ad nauseam but seniors have already started taking the matter of transportation into their own hands. \u00a0Despite technical challenges and unfamiliarity, a lot of them really don\u2019t have any other options and Uber is the perfect solution for them.<\/p>\n

Uber Targets Seniors Too<\/strong><\/p>\n

While driver evidence of an uptick in rides given to seniors has been anecdotal, Uber has clearly recognized the opportunity that this demographic represents. \u00a0In addition to the sheer magnitude of potential customers, seniors also represent the ideal customer for Uber. \u00a0The casual rider might need 1-2 rides a week but a senior citizen who has no means of transportation might need a ride or two every single day.<\/p>\n

Uber\u2019s CEO, Travis Kalanick, has talked before about bringing down the cost of Uber rides to the point where it\u2019s cheaper than owning a car. \u00a0But for seniors who\u00a0don\u2019t even own a car, Uber doesn\u2019t need to compete with the cost of ownership. \u00a0A few weeks ago, they released a promotional\u00a0video<\/a> that details how Uber is increasing mobility options for seniors.<\/p>\n

Uber Isn\u2019t The Only One Though<\/strong><\/p>\n

Uber\u2019s sheer size may be great for investors but it is also a\u00a0weakness when it comes to serving the demands of niche rideshare spaces. \u00a0Much like what we\u2019ve seen with the companies who specialize in \u2018Uber for\u00a0Kids\u2019, there are a lot of things that a small agile start-up can do better than Uber when trying to cater to a very specific audience.<\/p>\n

Companies like Shuddle and Hop Skip Drive, that solely transport children, have recognized that parents value safety, the ability to pre-book rides and upfront pricing. \u00a0Uber has faced issues in multiple countries in regards to its background checks for drivers,\u00a0and even something as simple as a phone number that customers can call is not currently part of Uber\u2019s offering.<\/p>\n

There is one start up currently in the \u2018Uber for Seniors\u2019 niche, called Lift Hero<\/a>. \u00a0It operates in San Francisco and allows seniors to\u00a0book a ride online or\u00a0over the phone with\u00a0a live operator.\u00a0 It\u2019s that personal touch that tech-centered companies like Uber will likely never provide.\u00a0 Lift Hero\u2019s founder, Jay Connolly, told me \u201cI\u2019m actually surprised Uber hasn\u2019t pursued this market sooner but it is a bit of a danger for them.\u00a0 It goes against their brand, Uber is all about\u00a0maximizing automation and efficiency, no phone operators,\u00a0no personal service, etc.\u201d<\/p>\n

Talking about how Lift Hero is different, Connolly said, \u201cWe\u2019re\u00a0fusing the old and the new\u00a0by\u00a0providing a phone interface for seniors to call in and book rides.\u00a0 Our company adapts\u00a0to the rider, not the other way around.\u00a0 And we provide more than just transportation.\u00a0 Our drivers provide\u00a0accompaniment as well\u00a0and we train them to understand what our\u00a0passengers\u00a0(seniors) are going through and how to help them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although Lift Hero seems to be addressing a lot of the concerns that seniors may have, Uber is the name that everyone knows and turns to when they need a ride. \u00a0And many seniors that I\u2019ve spoken to still have some apprehension when it comes to riding with Uber:<\/p>\n