(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A taxi-hailing app has borrowed a feature from Uber and Lyft in hopes of making cabs in Chicago more competitive with the ridesharing services.
Before now, users of the Curb app had to wait until their rides were over and pay whatever was on the meter, while the Uber and Lyft apps guaranteed the price when the rides were booked.
Jason Gross, vice president of mobile at Curb, said the taxi app now provides up-front pricing.
In New York City, use of the Curb app has tripled since the fixed-price model was deployed several months ago, he said.
Gross said many people mistakenly believe that Uber and Lyft are cheaper than taxis. The app is helping disprove that by allowing customers to comparison-shop, he said.