Pushing To Blockchain Mass Adoption With a Great and Safe Taxi Service
Blockchain is among one of the fastest growing technologies.
We are gradually moving towards mass adoption of the technology due to its benefits and ease of use. It has, in fact, entered the day-to-day life of regular customers thanks to businesses introducing blockchain-based initiatives.
One such business is DACSEE, short for Decentralized Alternative Cabs Serving & Empowering Everyone. It’s a blockchain-based ridesharing platform that aims to reduce the issues associated with traditional ride-hailing options, like Grab.
Let’s talk about the shortcomings of companies like Grab and Uber and how DACSEE serves as a better solution.
- People Have Less Faith in Ridesharing:
When you opt for ridesharing, you trust the expertise and skills of the company and the person behind the wheel. You expect the company to hire drivers that are skilled enough to take you to your destination without causing you any harm. Moreover, you also trust the company with a car that’s safe and risk-free. However, sadly, this does not always happen.
Uber, for example, has been in the news for deliberately investing in poor quality cars. This can put the life of not just the passenger but also the driver and other people on the road.
In addition to this, Grab, one of Malaysia’s biggest ride-sharing tools, is also rumored to be hiring low-quality divers due to a sudden reduction in the number of drivers. This is why a lot of Grab drivers have been in accidents in the last few months.
How DACSEE Intends to Solve This Problem:
The company has a strict hiring policy. It only accepts drivers after a fully regulated screening process. Moreover, it also has a well-defined reference-and-check policy where it is the responsibility of drivers to keep an eye on other drivers and vehicles and inform the company in case they notice anything out of the ordinary.
Plus, the company has also introduced a ‘leadership’ system where one person is to lead a group of drivers and new drivers can enter a group only if he or she has the permission of the leader.
This policy helps build trust in the company and ridesharing as a platform. We cannot expect more people to ditch their own cars and opt for ridesharing unless we can make them feel safe and secure.
2. Customers Find Ridesharing Very Expensive
While ride-sharing may be more affordable than owning a car, especially when you consider maintenance costs, a large number of people still prefer to own a car due to their ability to “provide an opportunity for conspicuous consumption,” according to Todd Davidson, a research associate and lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin’s Energy Institute and Webber Energy Group.
David worked with a number of other engineers to create a calculator that helps calculate how much it costs to own a car compared to opting for ridesharing.
If you look at it, you’ll realize how ride-sharing is cheaper. However, many passengers still find it expensive, especially due to tricks ride-sharing drivers use to charge more.
How DACSEE Intends to Solve This Problem:
The company introduces a decentralized system where the control is once again in the hand of the customers.
This helps remove service fees, which makes DACSEE up to 30% more affordable than other options like Grab.
3. Passengers Feel Unsafe
You must have heard of women accusing Grab drivers of sexual assault. Sadly, such occurrences are very common, especially due to a lack of policy and monitoring from ridesharing platforms.
This is a major reason why many passengers, especially women, like to stay away from ride-hailing. Safety, after all, is very important.
How DACSEE Intends to Solve This Problem:
DACSEE is the first company to let customers choose their preferred driver, i.e: women can add a female driver to her network and choose this female driver if she feels uncomfortable riding with a male driver.
DACSEE hopes that this option will make passengers feel safer and also reduce ride sharing related incidents. In addition to this, it also has an ‘emergency button’ on all its vehicles, which allows passengers to quickly inform authorities in case they feel unsafe.
4. Passengers Fear Hackers
When you use platforms like Uber and Grab, your information, including credit card details and addresses. is stored on the system. However, this information can get hacked, as seen in Singapore last year, which is a major reason why many passengers like to stay away from ridesharing platforms.
How DACSEE Intends to Solve This Problem:
Drivers cannot see or exchange personal information so there is no risk of details leaking out.
Will DACSEE help ridesharing platforms? It looks so. It removes all the problems associated with ride sharing, leaving no reasons for passengers to stay away from ridesharing. The platform already has over 30,000 drivers but it’s too early to say if it’s a success.
