What a brilliant idea! Cabs as couriers is so obvious, surely somebody else has thought of it.

[donnashuggy]

http://www.smh.com.au/business/taxis-and-uber-will-fight-it-out-over-new-ground-20160309-gnejvj.html

[kopenhagen5]

They have been doing it for decades amongst business.

Just not as an advertised service.

In the early 80's we would use cabs for urgent legal documentaries or running urgent advertising artwork.

Good idea and like you say, so obvious.

[donnashuggy]

I think because of the app feature. Couriers can be so unreliable and of course when the time comes they go home with a truck full of parcels undelivered, happens to me frequently.

If I want something urgently or a customer does this is a great option for a lost teddy at 10pm at night as an example

[***super_nova***]

There was a time when in Melbourne taxis would be used to bring weather reports from BOM to TV stations for that night weather forecast.  LOL  That was back in in 1980s.  Anything that was important and needed to be done quickly.  One well known TV presenter would have a taxi to collect her dry cleaning.  🙂

[lionrose.7]

We used cabs for Real Estate agreements before the internet, if we could not drop of to Lawyers our selves.

Quick and easy and cheap in those days.

[lyndal1838]

The idea is great, but what are they going to charge.   If they charge the same for parcels as the do for passengers there will not be many takers.

[imastawka]

A fare is a fare, whether it be people or parcels.

Same time and same fuel is used.

So, no not a cheap courier IMO

[donnashuggy]

If it is the same and available in minutes (Uber is fantastic in Sydney) Then if you want something super fast right now you can have it, you do not need to drive yourself or get in the Uber. It will be great for people that need something 'now' People will pay and Uber is not that expensive, I recently went to a restaurant in Glebe got a Uber back to Newtown for $11 on a Friday night.

[donnashuggy]

I can think of another example, you need something from the chemist at 1 am and you cannot leave the children.........

[donnashuggy]

---

@lyndal1838 wrote:

The idea is great, but what are they going to charge.   If they charge the same for parcels as the do for passengers there will not be many takers.

---

There are times when you would not trust a courier, knowing they have many other parcels on board to deliver. If you organise a cab or uber you know that once they have picked the item up from you or 'other' it is on its way to the destination.