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There are several competing ridesharing services, of which Uber is the largest, however Uber's early adoption as a platform for ridesharing in the GC is for reasons of capacity. In Ottawa, Uber has traditional been the sole service platform with a fully developed and tested corporate service offering. Lyft has hoped to launch an equivalent service by 2020 and local taxi companies are developing their own ridehailing apps as well which will ultimately have a corporate service as well. Thus while it can be expected that there will be a multiplicity of platforms available to public servants in the future, Uber had initially started as the default platform for so many departments due to a lack of viable alternatives.
There are several competing ridesharing services, of which Uber is the largest, however Uber's early adoption as a platform for ridesharing in the GC is for reasons of capacity. In Ottawa, Uber has traditional been the sole service platform with a fully developed and tested corporate service offering. Lyft has hoped to launch an equivalent service by 2020 and local taxi companies are developing their own ridehailing apps as well which will ultimately have a corporate service as well. Thus while it can be expected that there will be a multiplicity of platforms available to public servants in the future, Uber had initially started as the default platform for so many departments due to a lack of viable alternatives.
== Departmental Ridesharing - A How to Guide ==
== Departmental Ridesharing "How to" Guide ==
The feasibility of departmental ridesharing is subject to much of the same kinds of departmental lore that tend to afflict many new initiatives. As a core premise it should be stated clearly and unequivocally that there are no rules, procedures, policies, guidelines, regulations, statues or other form of restrictions which prevent GC entities from adopting departmental ridesharing. The relative lack of these services is due solely to force of habit and their relative novelty as a service. This does not in turn make further adoption a clear-cut case as changing processes takes time and patience, however with transformation occurring ever more rapidly and ridehailing having been commonplace in most jurisdictions for over a decade, the case for departmental ridesharing offerings is a strong one.
The feasibility of departmental ridesharing is subject to much of the same kinds of departmental lore that tend to afflict many new initiatives. As a core premise it should be stated clearly and unequivocally that there are no rules, procedures, policies, guidelines, regulations, statues or other form of restrictions which prevent GC entities from adopting departmental ridesharing. The relative lack of these services is due solely to force of habit and their relative novelty as a service. This does not in turn make further adoption a clear-cut case as changing processes takes time and patience, however with transformation occurring ever more rapidly and ridehailing having been commonplace in most jurisdictions for over a decade, the case for departmental ridesharing offerings is a strong one.
3) '''Support from Finance''': The group whose work will be most directly effected by departmental ridesharing is corporate finance and so it is important to speak with these individuals early on. Finance also has the most to benefit.
3) '''Support from Finance''': The group whose work will be most directly effected by departmental ridesharing is corporate finance and so it is important to speak with these individuals early on. Finance also has the most to benefit.
4) '''User Guides''': Hey! Its the GC: we love user guides. Making new user guides can be a laborious process and feel unnecessary for something like Uber, so I've done you a solid and included the TC user guide which can be plagiarized at will ;-D
4) '''User Guides''': Hey! Its the GC: we love user guides. Making new user guides can be a laborious process and feel unnecessary for something like Uber, so I've done you a solid and included the TC user guide at the bottom of the page which can be plagiarized at will ;-D
=== Frequently Asked Questions (add your own if you have them and I'll get back to you!) ===
A key tip for those looking to bring ride sharing to their department is to be persistent. Change is hard, especially for those that are comfortable with the status quo. Find your champion in senior management and then immediately start to work with finance. Corporate finance can be a good ally because departmental ridesharing goes a long way to lightening their workload, but they are also more likely to end an initiative if they feel their core responsibilities are being changed without their input. Otherwise, be prepared to hold a lot of hands with adopters. Those who are unfamiliar with the system with often avoid using it so as not to have to admit ignorance while others will condemn the system in order to have an excuse not to learn. These interactions can be trying but will be some of the most important for a successful deployment.
=== Addressing Concerns about Ridesharing ===
There has been some ideological opposition in some quarters to ridesharing as a system, which affords freelance drivers less earnings per ride than taxi drivers. Some have argued that this in unfair for drivers and that the GC cannot be seen as supporting a system that pays drivers less. While especially common in the early days of ridesharing where taxi companies mounted a strong an concerted opposition to ridesharing platforms and lobbied to make the practice illegal, this line of argument less and less common as ridesharing has become more prevalent both in the GC and in wider society. This growing prevalence has come with a growing understanding of what it means to be a freelancing platform and how this is distinct from other business models. There is also a strong impetus for government to obtain good value for money in its purchases, raising questions about the extent to which public servants should be expected to intentionally overpay for services.
The most important observation is that the adoption of departmental ridesharing is never accompanied by the exclusion or elimination of alternatives and no public servants will be required to take a rideshare versus any other form of transportation. Departmental ridesharing is about providing more options to the GC and empowering public servants with all the available tools in an effort to help them to do their best work. All departmental rideshare pilots to date have kept legacy systems available in parallel with the adoption of ridesharing as an option, and while some individuials continue to prefer other transportation options and payment systems, there is a steadily growing enthusiasm for departmental ridesharing. It is also important to note that locking in to one system or another tends to stifle innovation and result in lower quality of service.
=== Frequently Asked Questions (add your own "Q"s if you have them and I'll get back to you with an "A"!) ===
Q) Can you use departmental ridesharing while on travel status?
Q) Can you use departmental ridesharing while on travel status?
[[File:UBER USER GUIDE (TC).pdf|thumb]]
[[File:UBER USER GUIDE (TC).pdf|thumb]]