When San Francisco-based Uber first launched in Santa Barbara County as part of its Central Coast operations, drivers were mainly confined to downtown Santa Barbara and the university areas.
That was in October 2013. Now, the company is actively recruiting drivers in Santa Maria, according to Uber spokesperson Tatiana Winograd.
More people in Santa Maria are requesting rides, Winograd said, especially on the weekends. She added that as wine tourism grows around the city, the company is anticipating more ride requests as spring approaches summer.
“As more people learn about the safe, reliable, and affordable rides Uber is delivering, more and more are using it to get around their communities,” Winograd said.
Uber works through a smartphone app. A person requests a ride through the app, which uses the phone’s GPS and Wi-Fi to pinpoint the location. A nearby Uber driver picks up the request and takes the passenger(s) where they need to go.
The company doesn’t have a fleet and doesn’t hire drivers, according to Winograd. Instead, each driver is an independent contractor known as a “driver-partner.” The company takes a 25 percent cut of driver fares.
The app is often seen as an alternative to taxicabs with cheaper fares. Sometimes the company uses “surge pricing” that drives prices up when there’s a spike in ride requests.
Taxicab drivers in Santa Barbara protested when Uber came to the city because they feared that the company would take away their business. Other independent drivers in the county don’t think it’ll make much of a difference.
Chris Stephens runs winetastingdd.com, a Santa Ynez-based website that allows tourists to lend their vehicles to a designated driver to show them around Santa Barbara County wine country.
“I don’t think it would be worth it to use Uber in the valley because they wouldn’t get enough business,” Stephens said, “and they’d be competing with other taxicabs at around the same rate.”
Uber drivers use their own vehicle, and many cite the benefit of making a little cash on the side and getting to know their communities a little better.
That’s what Fess Parker Winery President Eli Parker did. He was an avid Uber user who eventually became a driver.
Becoming a driver is a “straightforward” process, Parker said. Besides undergoing an extensive background check, each driver must receive a 19-point inspection on a 2005-or-newer vehicle and a short orientation.
“It’s a great way to get a beat on where people are staying and their dining activities,” Parker said. “I think it will be a huge boon to the wine tasting crowd up in Santa Maria.”
This article appears in Mar 19-26, 2015.
