August 05, 2015
Unlike Philadelphia, where city officials have essentially tried to block the ridesharing service Uber, Wilmington, Delaware is welcoming the company. And one local cab company is not happy about it.
Uber came to Delaware in June and to Dover last week. Now, the city of Wilmington is welcoming Uber with $8,000 billboards, the News Journal reports.
The billboards, according to the Journal, say "Wilmington proudly welcomes Uber," feature mayor Dennis Williams, and have the link to a website where potential drivers can sign up.
Wilmington taxpayers spending $8,000 on Uber billboards http://t.co/Ne3zsk1RoB pic.twitter.com/VDcUtCNpWh
— The People's Report (@PeoplesReport) August 5, 2015
Mayor Williams has argued that there should be an open marketplace when it comes to ridesharing services, and his spokesperson told the Journal that the service is "safe and reliable."
But Anthony Eber, who owns New Castle-based Family Taxi Company, told the Journal that state regulations have made cabs unfairly more expensive and that people are now taking their business to Uber. He also said he didn't like that the mayor spent taxpayer dollars on the billboards.
The introduction of Uber to the Wilmington market is part of a larger city effort to revive its downtown, partly through transportation.
As PhillyVoice contributor Jake Blumgart reported in June, additional SEPTA Regional Rail hours, as well as services like Uber and Zipcar, are part of city officials and developers' plans to give the city a boost.
