PORTLAND, Maine - The app-based ride service Uber will start service in the Bangor and Lewiston areas as of tomorrow - and taxi companies aren't happy.
The company's general manager in Maine, Cathy Zhou, says the populations of college students in both areas make them a good fit for Uber, along with what she describes as a demand for reliable and convenient ride service.
Cab companies in Bangor and Lewiston say Uber coming into their markets could significantly impact their business. But companies like LA Cab Service in Lewiston say they hope regular customers will stay with them.
"I'm hoping our customers in L-A are pretty loyal to us - they have been for quite a while," says Dispatcher Rice Jones. "We're thinking we might lose some business on the higher end of the pay scale, but we're hoping not too much."
Uber's entrance into Maine in 2014 led to a new law that sets statewide insurance standards for such ride-sharing, and bans towns and cities from regulating them.
The company pays an annual fee of $10,000 to the state for its permit. But cab companies say Uber is still getting off cheap, and that it has an unfair advantage over more heavily regulated taxi services.
