Ride-sharing outfit Uber is set to overtake traditional taxis as Australia’s preferred private transportation service before this year is out, according new research from the Roy Morgan group.
According to Morgan, its figures show that 4.4 million Aussies, or 21.5 percent of the population now use Uber in an average three months.
That compares with the almost 4.5 million Australians (21.7pc) who use taxis.
Morgan notes that Uber launched in Australia in late 2012 and has taken off over the last three years, as it has established itself in Australia’s main population centres. Patronage of Uber has grown from 6.6pc in mid-2016 to 21.5pc now.
While fewer Australians are using taxis, the decline has been far gentler, Morgan says – down from 24.4pc in mid-2016 to 21.7pc now.
However, Morgan says that analysis of the usage patterns of Uber and taxi services shows that Uber is used at a more frequent rate by those who use the service. Uber customers make an average of over 4.1 trips in a typical three months, compared to fewer than 3.8 trips taken by Australians who use taxis.
