Exploring a city, it will take forever if you decide to traverse the streets on foot. Mass transportation such as buses and trains let us go from point A to point B more quickly with an affordable fare. You may not be taken to the exact place you intend to go, but usually, there are drop-off spots that are just a short walk away from your destination.
A pricier option is to take a cab. Just flag one down, and you can ask to be driven to the place of your choice. The fare is dependent on the distance and the amount of traffic that you will encounter. As you can imagine, there is potential for you to rake up a large number if you are going to a far place or somewhere with heavy traffic.
These days, there is another option for you. Ride-hailing apps such as Uber are now available for your smartphones. You can just run the app, and it will match you with a driver who will pick you up wherever you are. As this is a fairly new mode of transportation, its passengers still have a lot of adjustment to do. On the legal front, you can consult an Uber accident attorney in Los Angeles if you have been involved in an accident. They will let you know of your rights as an Uber passenger in case you have figured in an accident while you are being driven.
These ride-hailing apps have altered the landscape of transportation. How did that happen? Let us find out.
GPS Technology
GPS devices have become more sophisticated over the years. They have become more intuitive and faster. They come in all shapes and sizes. There are dedicated handheld ones as well as those embedded in smartwatches. They have been popular with outgoing and adventurous people.
This is the modern compass, a device that keeps them out of danger by letting them know their exact location. Since it is a modern electronic device, you have a colored screen. No longer will you have to learn about learning to decipher what a compass is saying.
Internet
The world started accessing the Internet using modems capable of speeds that are slow by today’s standards. Now that more people are using broadband connections, it has made navigating the Internet a breeze. These ride-hailing apps work best when they use a stand-alone GPS in tandem with the Internet’s locating capabilities. Having a connection is a requirement anyway. The speed of today’s Internet lets the app display richer content and faster updates of traffic information. It also lets you send instant messages to the driver assigned to you. Never has it been easier to predict traffic in an area, and that is all thanks to the high-speed Internet.
Smartphones
Of course, these apps would be useless if not for the hardware they are programmed for, the smartphone. Smartphones are basically mini-computers in your pocket. They pack enough processing power and random access memory to run these programs.
Transport apps such as Uber are here to stay. They are the perfect alternative to more traditional modes of transport. They may cost more than your usual taxi fare, but they can be a far more convenient and comfortable way of going to your target destination.
