Uber ride-sharing service rolls into Bellingham

Uber has arrived, and it’s already drawn plenty of interest from people who want to be drivers.

The ride-hailing company officially launched with a party on Nov. 12 and has more than 70 drivers offering pickups throughout Bellingham and the outlying area, said Brooke Steger, general manager of Uber’s Pacific Northwest region.

Getting a ride from an Uber driver in Bellingham is just a matter of downloading an app on a smartphone and signing up with a credit card or PayPal. Once a person is signed up, they can track which Uber car is available nearby and get an estimate on a pickup time. The app also can estimate the fare, which is usually around $10-$15 in Bellingham, Steger said.

The company will track the car from the start of the ride to its destination. The rider doesn’t need to do anything but get out of the car when they’ve arrived at the destination; the credit card will be charged accordingly.

Steger said Uber is popular among drivers because it gives them a chance to make money while they are already out driving. It’s also flexible in that drivers can make themselves available when it is convenient for them.

This kind of car-riding concept was originally thought to be a business model that would work only in major metro areas, but Uber soon learned that it can work in smaller cities.

“We found that university towns are fantastic for Uber,” Steger said.

A town with a university works because college students tend to rely on other forms of transportation to get off campus. Uber is also a way to curb drunk driving, so late night hours when the bars close is a popular time. Uber works to figure out peak times to help the drivers earn fares.

Many Bellingham residents are excited to work as drivers. Eric Kouvolo has experience as an Uber driver, working for a time in Seattle. He said the learning curve was small and the demand is strong. As a job, it provides Kouvolo plenty of flexibility.

“I’ve waited three hours for a cab on New Year’s Eve in Bellingham, so I know this area needs it,” Kouvolo said.

Robbin Prowse is a newcomer to Uber and said the company is very thorough with its drivers. She went through a background check and had to get her car inspected by a mechanic. As for the driver’s safety, she liked the fact that the company will track her car when she picks up and drops off passengers. She expects students and seniors who want to get around town to be customers.

“As word gets out, I think it will become popular,” Prowse said.

Uber had to work with the city before it began operating here. In late September, the Bellingham City Council voted to regulate transportation network companies like Uber.

During the council discussions, taxi cab owners expressed concern that the new service would create an uneven playing field for taxis, as well as impact a fleet of new drivers. Deb Logan, president of Yellow Cab, said in September that having too many drivers out there will make it difficult to make money, hurting service for the entire population.

This story was originally published November 20, 2015 at 7:54 PM with the headline "Uber ride-sharing service rolls into Bellingham."