TRANSFORMATION OF URBAN TRANSPORTATION - STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE A CASE OF UBER TECHNOLOGIES INC

Taxis are instantly recognisable form of transport and are important part of transport system in developed and developing countries around the world. Still the role played by the taxi services vary across city to city and country to country. The taxi industry is complex as it is combination of unregulated local services from unorganized sector and regulated taxi services from organized sectors. Further taxis are part of a functioning community and although the concept of taxis is almost universally recognized very few in the general public actually knows how the taxi industry works.A decade ago, no one have even thought of booking a taxi with a tap on hand held devices. But today, more and more people are going forward to hire Uber, Ola and alike taxis over the traditional taxis often called as “Kaali Pili” in Indian context. This is because of convenience, quality services, transparency and safety offered by Uber and like organisations. Uber have recognized that nowadays people are more inclined toward online transaction and thus created need for a portal for taxi services. Uber's dual business model delivers value to both drivers and passengers alike by catering to each groups' unique incentives in constructing a symbiosis between the two. Connecting drivers with passengers via their smart phones eliminates the need for Uber as well as drivers to establish an office premises in new city in which they expand to cater their services making it highly scalable strategy with a partial barrier to further growth. With the above backdrop the objective of the paper is to highlight the contribution of marketing strategies and usage of information technology by Uber Technologies Inc. for its growth from a modest beginning to soaring success.