[F]or the last several weeks Uber, the popular and sometimes controversial ride sharing company, has been prepping for a launch in Killington. They’ve been distributing flyers, talking to local businesses, and working with Killington Resort to get the message out that Uber is hiring.
Carlie Waivel, a spokesperson for Uber, says residents of smaller communities are less familiar with Uber, which connects riders with drivers through its mobile app.
“Many folks are familiar on the rider side,” Waibel said, but are less aware that anyone with a car can theoretically become a driver for Uber.
“You can actually use that car sitting in your driveway to earn some money this weekend,” she said.
On Friday, in partnership with Killington Resort, Uber will offer a series of events and giveaways — including pairs of skis and winter jackets — to mark the beginning of service in the area. The company launched in Burlington in 2014 and has “hundreds of driver-partners” in the city, according to Waibel.
John King the owner of Gramps’ Shuttle service in Killington, which mostly transports large groups from cities across New England to the resort, says Uber will likely fill a void. In the evening hours when vacationers head to the bars there are few transportation options, King said. For example this weekend, according to King, there were about 17,000 to 18,000 people skiing during the day. On a busy weekend night in winter a cab company might get 45 calls, he said.
Michael Joseph, communications manager for the resort, alluded to the fact that providing transportation at night has been a challenge. Unlike many ski resorts, Killington has no real base village but is rather spread out along the five-mile access road that runs from Route 4 up to the mountain. On busy weekend nights there is high demand for the kind of service Uber provides, Joseph said.
“Demand exceeds what existing services are capable of providing pretty much every weekend especially during the peak period in winter time,” Joseph said.
The Pickle Barrel nightclub in Killington started its own free shuttle service — the Barrel Rider — 18 years ago in order to meet the needs of its customers. They currently have four-15 passenger vans that operate within a six-mile radius of the club.
Chris Karr, the owner of the club, said when they started their free shuttle service they “probably offended a bunch of cab operators.” Not long after other restaurants and bars started doing the same thing. Karr says Uber’s launch in Killington is just the next phase of growth.
“There will be some increased competition for cab drivers but you know they need to figure out how to serve customers better and do more for them,” Karr said.
However the season is short and King questioned whether Uber drivers would be able to make much of a living in Killington. In addition he said Uber drivers would have to compete with the well-established free shuttle services.
“There really isn’t enough business around to support a lot of taxis,” he said. “If they [Uber drivers] worked all day and there wasn’t a lot of them, they might be able to gross 100 bucks,” he said.
Indeed King, who has owned his business for 17 years, has developed a model that is in many ways at odds with the kind of ride-sharing service provided by Uber. Gramps’ relies primarily on reservations made 24 hours in advance and partnerships with the local rail stations and airports, in Lebanon, New Hampshire, and Rutland. He’ll drive as far as Boston or New York to bring groups of 15 to 20 skiers up to the resort. Uber, on the other hand, allows its users to connect with a driver at the touch of a button and prides itself on providing near instantaneous service.
Founded in 2009, Uber’s market share is largely in cities — not small towns and rural areas.
Waibel says Uber is working “with folks on the ground to really make this a success” in a small community.
Drivers from Rutland City must go through a licensing process that includes an in-depth background check and review by the police department, according to Rutland City Clerk Henry Heck. There are five or six cab companies in Rutland. Killington does not have a licensing requirement.
“If they’re doing business in the city and drawing any kind of fee for that they would need to be licensed within the city based on the ordnance,” Heck said. If for example an Uber driver wanted to pick someone up at the Amtrak station in Rutland and drive them up to Killington they would need to be licensed as a vehicle for hire in the city.
King says he’s not worried about his own enterprise being impacted by Uber’s presence in Killington. In fact he said Vermont faces real challenges in getting travelers and tourists to many parts the state. Rail service is limited. And in many small towns finding a taxi can be a problem.
“A network of 1,500 to 2,000 Uber drivers in Vermont would be a good thing for everyone,” King said. “Both Vermonters and vacationers.”
However, he added, they’re “going to change the whole dynamic.”
