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{{Infobox company
{{Infobox company
| name = InstantCab
| name = Summon (formerly InstantCab)
| logo =
| logo =
| caption=
| caption=
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}}
}}


'''InstantCab''' is a mobile application that matches customers needing transportation with a taxi driver or a community driver who is willing to provide a ride.<ref name="What is InstantCab?">{{cite web|title=Community Drivers|url=http://instantcab.com/drivers/cd/|publisher=RideCell, Inc.|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref> Currently, InstantCab is available in San Francisco, California.<ref name=Faqs>{{cite web|title=Frequently Asked Questions|url=https://www.instantcab.com/faq/|publisher=RideCell, Inc.|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref> The app was being used for tens of thousands of rides each month as of May 2013.<ref name=SeekingAlpha>{{cite web|last=Sullivan|first=Godfrey|title=Splunk Management Discusses Q1 2014 Results - Earnings Call Transcript|url=http://seekingalpha.com/article/1472541-splunk-management-discusses-q1-2014-results-earnings-call-transcript?part=single|publisher=Seeking Alpha Inc.|accessdate=June 4, 2013}}</ref>
'''Summon (formerly InstantCab)''' is a mobile application that matches customers needing transportation with a taxi driver or a personal driver who is willing to provide a ride.<ref name="What is InstantCab?">{{cite web|title=Community Drivers|url=http://instantcab.com/drivers/cd/|publisher=RideCell, Inc.|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref> Currently, Summon is available in California in San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville, and portions of the East Bay. [http://help.summon.com/customer/portal/articles/1389744-where-can-i-use-summon-] The app is being used for tens of thousands of rides each month.<ref name=SeekingAlpha>{{cite web|last=Sullivan|first=Godfrey|title=Splunk Management Discusses Q1 2014 Results - Earnings Call Transcript|url=http://seekingalpha.com/article/1472541-splunk-management-discusses-q1-2014-results-earnings-call-transcript?part=single|publisher=Seeking Alpha Inc.|accessdate=June 4, 2013}}</ref>


==History==
==History==


The idea for InstantCab was born after Aarjav Trivedi, its CEO and Founder, waited for over an hour for a bus and then a cab to take him to the airport.<ref name="About Us">{{cite web|title=Our Story|url=http://instantcab.com/aboutus/|publisher=RideCell, Inc.|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref> He missed an international flight because both were late.<ref name=autogenerated2>{{cite web|title=Our Story|url=https://www.instantcab.com/aboutus/|publisher=RideCell, Inc.|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref> Trivedi created InstantCab to give people a simple, fast, reliable, and inexpensive way to get from A to B.<ref name=autogenerated2 /> Previously, Trivedi founded [http://www.crunchbase.com/company/ridecell/ RideCell] which focused on fleet automation to making on-demand transportation fleets easier to manage and access.
The idea for Summon was born after Aarjav Trivedi, its CEO and Founder, waited for over an hour for a bus and then a cab to take him to the airport.<ref name="About Us">{{cite web|title=Our Story|url=http://instantcab.com/aboutus/|publisher=RideCell, Inc.|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref> He missed an international flight because both were late.<ref name=autogenerated2>{{cite web|title=Our Story|url=https://www.instantcab.com/aboutus/|publisher=RideCell, Inc.|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref> Trivedi created Summon to give people a simple, fast, reliable, and inexpensive way to get from A to B.<ref name=autogenerated2 /> Previously, Trivedi founded [http://www.crunchbase.com/company/ridecell/ RideCell] which focused on fleet automation to making on-demand transportation fleets easier to manage and access.


During Winter 2012, InstantCab was selected to participate in [http://ycombinator.com/ Y Combinator]’s funding cycle. [http://ycombinator.com/ Y Combinator] is a company based in Mountain View, California that provides seed funding, advice, and connections to select start-ups.<ref>{{cite web|title=What We Do|url=http://ycombinator.com/about.html|publisher=Y Combinator|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref> InstantCab received venture funding in 2012 from a group of venture capital and angel investors in Silicon Valley including Khosla Ventures, Redpoint Ventures, General Catalyst, Andreessen Horowitz, Facebook Ex-COO Owen Van Natta and Delicious founder Joshua Schachter.<ref name="autogenerated1"/>
During Winter 2012, InstantCab was selected to participate in [http://ycombinator.com/ Y Combinator]’s funding cycle. [http://ycombinator.com/ Y Combinator] is a company based in Mountain View, California that provides seed funding, advice, and connections to select start-ups.<ref>{{cite web|title=What We Do|url=http://ycombinator.com/about.html|publisher=Y Combinator|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref> InstantCab received venture funding in 2012 from a group of venture capital and angel investors in Silicon Valley including Khosla Ventures, Redpoint Ventures, General Catalyst, Andreessen Horowitz, Facebook Ex-COO Owen Van Natta and Delicious founder Joshua Schachter.<ref name="autogenerated1"/> After rebranding to Summon, the company raised another round of funding from existing investors and new investors such as BMW Ventures. [http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/19/instantcab-summon/]


InstantCab’s offices are in the SoMa neighborhood of San Francisco.<ref name="Contact Us">{{cite web|title=InstantCab HQ|url=http://instantcab.com/contact/|publisher=RideCell, Inc.|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref>
Summon’s offices are in the SoMa neighborhood of San Francisco.<ref name="Contact Us">{{cite web|title=InstantCab HQ|url=http://instantcab.com/contact/|publisher=RideCell, Inc.|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref>


==Branding==
==Branding==


InstantCab's logo is the lighting bolt, and it uses orange in its marketing and promotional material.
Summon's logo is the lightning bolt to signify speed an direction. Its colors are orange, white, and black.


==Structure of the App==
==Structure of the App==


The InstantCab customer app is currently available on iPhones and Android phones.<ref name=iTunes>{{cite web|title=iTunes Preview|url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/instantcab/id513651818?mt=8|publisher=Apple, Inc.|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref><ref name="Google Play">{{cite web|title=InstantCab - Description|url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ridecell.com.unicorn|publisher=Google, Inc.|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref>
The Summon rider application is currently available on iPhones and Android phones.<ref name=iTunes>{{cite web|title=iTunes Preview|url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/instantcab/id513651818?mt=8|publisher=Apple, Inc.|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref><ref name="Google Play">{{cite web|title=InstantCab - Description|url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ridecell.com.unicorn|publisher=Google, Inc.|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref>


Customers can begin using InstantCab by signing up at instantcab.com or by downloading the app onto their mobile phone and signing up through the app.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sign Up|url=https://www.instantcab.com/signup/|publisher=RideCell, Inc.|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref>
Customers can use Summon by downloading the app onto their mobile phone and signing up through the app.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sign Up|url=https://www.instantcab.com/signup/|publisher=RideCell, Inc.|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref>. As with other ridesharing apps, credit card input is required at sign-up to provide a payment method for rides.


When customers open the InstantCab app on their phone, they can input their starting address on the map or the address bar and request a ride. The request is then sent to drivers. Drivers have 15 seconds to accept or reject the ride request. Once a driver accepts a request, there is no cancel button on the driver app that would enable the driver to cancel the request.
When customers open the Summon app on their phone, they can pinpoint their location on the map or type in their location in the address bar and request a ride. The request is then sent to nearby drivers. Drivers have 15 seconds to accept or reject the ride request. Once a driver accepts a request, there is no cancel button on the driver app that would enable the driver to cancel the request.


The customer is matched with the closest available taxi driver or community driver who accepts the request.<ref name=Faqs /> A community driver is a member of the community willing to provide car rides in his or her personal vehicle.<ref name=autogenerated3>{{cite web|title=Community Drivers|url=https://www.instantcab.com/drivers/cd/|publisher=RideCell, Inc.|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref> Once matched with the closest available driver, the customer sees a picture of the driver and the driver’s car on the app. The customer can also recognize a community driver by the InstantCab lighting bolt logo magnet displayed on the driver’s vehicle.
The customer is matched with the closest available taxi driver or personal driver who accepts the request.<ref name=Faqs /> A personal driver is a member of the community willing to provide car rides in his or her personal vehicle.<ref name=autogenerated3>{{cite web|title=Community Drivers|url=https://www.instantcab.com/drivers/cd/|publisher=RideCell, Inc.|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref> Once matched with the closest available driver, the customer sees a picture of the driver and the driver’s car on the app. The customer can also recognize a personal driver by the Summon lighting bolt magnet displayed on the driver’s vehicle.


==Drivers==
==Drivers==


Taxi drivers can sign up to drive for InstantCab at instantcab.com/drivers/taxi/ or by downloading the InstantCab driver app.<ref>{{cite web|title=Taxi Drivers|url=https://www.instantcab.com/drivers/taxi/|publisher=RideCell, Inc.|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref> Taxi drivers can also get a credit card swiper from InstantCab for use with street hails.
Taxi drivers can sign up to drive for Summon at http://summon.com/drive. Taxi drivers can also get a credit card swiper from Summon for use with street hails or non-Summon customers. The swiper offers 0 % credit card processing fees for the first two months of swiper use, and 2.5 % after that. [http://blog.summon.com/post/81406708339/o-yes-zero-credit-card-processing-fees-and-same]


Prospective community drivers can apply through instantcab.com/drivers/cd/. Community driver applicants must show proof of car insurance, undergo customer service training, and pass a background check and geography test.<ref name=autogenerated3 />
Prospective personal drivers can also apply at http://summon.com/drive. Personal driver applicants must show proof of car insurance, undergo customer service training, pass a 19-point vehicle inspection and pass a background check and geography test.<ref name=autogenerated3 />. Personal drivers are regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission [http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/Enforcement/TNC/]. Summon was the first TNC to gets its CPUC permit.


==Pricing and Payments==
==Pricing and Payments==


Customers pay taxi drivers the fare that appears on the taxi meter.<ref name=FAQs group=FAQs>{{cite web|title=Frequently Asked Questions|url=https://www.instantcab.com/faq/|publisher=RideCell, Inc.|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref> For rides given by community drivers, the app calculates how much a taxi ride of the same time and distance would have cost.<ref name=Faqs /> Thus, customers end up paying similar fares regardless of whether their ride is given by a taxi or community driver.<ref name=Faqs />
Customers pay taxi drivers the fare that appears on the taxi meter.<ref name=FAQs group=FAQs>{{cite web|title=Frequently Asked Questions|url=https://www.instantcab.com/faq/|publisher=RideCell, Inc.|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref> For rides given by personal drivers, the cost is 30 % lower [http://help.summon.com/customer/portal/articles/1085956-how-much-does-summon-cost-] than taxi rides. Summon also currently has a FareBack promotion going, where it credits the customer 30 % of the ride total to use on future Summon rides [http://blog.sfgate.com/techchron/2014/04/16/summon-cuts-prices-to-vie-with-lyft-uberx-for-riders/].


At the end of a ride requested through the app, customers use cash-free, card-free payment to pay their driver.<ref name=Faqs /> The customer’s credit card that is on file with the app is automatically charged after the completion of a ride.<ref name=Faqs /> On iPhones, customers can also rate their drivers following a ride.
At the end of a ride requested through the app, customers use cash-free, card-free payment to pay their driver. [http://help.summon.com/customer/portal/articles/1389706-how-do-i-pay-for-my-summon-rides-]. The customer’s credit card that is on file with the app is automatically charged after the completion of a ride.<ref name=Faqs /> On iPhones, customers can also rate their drivers following a ride.


==Reception==
==Reception==


On March 15, 2013, [http://techcrunch.com/ TechCrunch] featured an article about InstantCab. The article praises InstantCab for its “unique twist on the transportation app business, by combining inventory of taxi drivers along with community ride-sharing drivers.”<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web|last=Lawler|first=Ryan|title=Y Combinator-Backed InstantCab Provides a Hybrid Alternative to Ride-Sharing and Taxi Apps|url=http://techcrunch.com/2013/03/15/instantcab/|publisher=AOL, Inc.|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref> The article states, “By having drivers from the ride-sharing community as well as the taxi community, InstantCab seeks to provide more supply, safety, and reliability than the other apps out there.”<ref name=autogenerated1 /> The article also cites a price comparison done by Founder and CEO Aarjav Trivedi, in which he found that InstantCab was cheaper than other ridesharing apps.<ref name=autogenerated1 />
On March 15, 2013, [http://techcrunch.com/ TechCrunch] featured an article about InstantCab. The article praises InstantCab for its “unique twist on the transportation app business, by combining inventory of taxi drivers along with community ride-sharing drivers.”<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web|last=Lawler|first=Ryan|title=Y Combinator-Backed InstantCab Provides a Hybrid Alternative to Ride-Sharing and Taxi Apps|url=http://techcrunch.com/2013/03/15/instantcab/|publisher=AOL, Inc.|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref> The article states, “By having drivers from the ride-sharing community as well as the taxi community, InstantCab seeks to provide more supply, safety, and reliability than the other apps out there.”<ref name=autogenerated1 /> The article also cites a price comparison done by Founder and CEO Aarjav Trivedi, in which he found that InstantCab was cheaper than other ridesharing apps.<ref name=autogenerated1 />

In February 2014, InstantCab rebranded as Summon to better communicate that it works with both Personal drivers and Taxi drivers. Summon raised a second round of funding from repeat and new investors. [http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/19/instantcab-summon/].


==Regulatory Responses==
==Regulatory Responses==
Line 78: Line 80:
On December 20, 2012, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) initiated a rulemaking proceeding to determine whether ridesharing apps like InstantCab fall under its jurisdiction and, if so, how to regulate such apps.<ref>{{cite web|title=RideSharing Proceeding|url=http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/transportation/Passengers/CarrierInvestigations/Ridesharing_Proceeding.htm|publisher=California Public Utilities Commission|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref> The CPUC has not yet issued a decision.
On December 20, 2012, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) initiated a rulemaking proceeding to determine whether ridesharing apps like InstantCab fall under its jurisdiction and, if so, how to regulate such apps.<ref>{{cite web|title=RideSharing Proceeding|url=http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/transportation/Passengers/CarrierInvestigations/Ridesharing_Proceeding.htm|publisher=California Public Utilities Commission|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref> The CPUC has not yet issued a decision.


On March 8, 2013, InstantCab received a cease and desist letter from San Francisco International (SFO) Airport, claiming that its community drivers were unlawfully conducting business operations on Airport property without a permit.<ref>{{cite web|title=Letter From the San Francisco International Airport|url=http://blog.instantcab.com/post/46881211570/letter-from-the-san-francisco-international-airport|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref> InstantCab responded that its community drivers were complying with the law because they were not picking up customers at the Airport or engaging in commercial activities on Airport property.<ref>{{cite web|title=Letter from the San Francisco International Airport|url=http://blog.instantcab.com/post/46881211570/letter-from-the-san-francisco-international-airport|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref> Other ridesharing apps in San Francisco have received similar cease and desist letters from SFO Airport.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lawler|first=Ryan|title=SFO Serves Cease-And-Desist Letters to Keep Ride-Sharing Companies From Operating at the Airport|url=http://techcrunch.com/2013/04/04/sfo-hates-ride-sharing/|publisher=AOL, Inc.|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref>
On March 8, 2013, Summon received a cease and desist letter from San Francisco International (SFO) Airport, claiming that its community drivers were unlawfully conducting business operations on Airport property without a permit.<ref>{{cite web|title=Letter From the San Francisco International Airport|url=http://blog.instantcab.com/post/46881211570/letter-from-the-san-francisco-international-airport|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref> Summon responded that its personal drivers were complying with the law because they were not picking up customers at the Airport or engaging in commercial activities on Airport property.<ref>{{cite web|title=Letter from the San Francisco International Airport|url=http://blog.instantcab.com/post/46881211570/letter-from-the-san-francisco-international-airport|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref> Other ridesharing apps in San Francisco have received similar cease and desist letters from SFO Airport.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lawler|first=Ryan|title=SFO Serves Cease-And-Desist Letters to Keep Ride-Sharing Companies From Operating at the Airport|url=http://techcrunch.com/2013/04/04/sfo-hates-ride-sharing/|publisher=AOL, Inc.|accessdate=May 2, 2013}}</ref>


In September 2013, the CPUC unanimously voted to make the agreement permanent, creating a new category of service called "[[Transportation Network Companies]]" to cover [[Lyft]], UberX, [[SideCar (company)|SideCar]], and InstantCab and making California the first state to recognize such services.<ref>{{cite web| last=Yeung|first=Ken|title= California Becomes First State To Regulate Ridesharing Services benefiting Uber, Lyft, Sidecar, and InstantCab|url=http://thenextweb.com/insider/2013/09/19/california-becomes-first-state-to-regulate-ride-sharing-services/ |publisher= TheNextWeb |accessdate=19 Nov 2013|date= 19 Sep 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| last=Healey|first=Jon|title= State to L.A.: Hands off Uber, Lyft, Sidecar and InstantCab |url=http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jul/30/news/la-ol-uber-lyft-sidecar-california-public-utilities-commission-20130730 |publisher= LATimes |accessdate=19 Nov 2013|date= 30 Jul 2013}}</ref>
In September 2013, the CPUC unanimously voted to make the agreement permanent, creating a new category of service called "[[Transportation Network Companies]]" to cover [[Lyft]], UberX, [[SideCar (company)|SideCar]], and InstantCab and making California the first state to recognize such services.<ref>{{cite web| last=Yeung|first=Ken|title= California Becomes First State To Regulate Ridesharing Services benefiting Uber, Lyft, Sidecar, and InstantCab|url=http://thenextweb.com/insider/2013/09/19/california-becomes-first-state-to-regulate-ride-sharing-services/ |publisher= TheNextWeb |accessdate=19 Nov 2013|date= 19 Sep 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| last=Healey|first=Jon|title= State to L.A.: Hands off Uber, Lyft, Sidecar and InstantCab |url=http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jul/30/news/la-ol-uber-lyft-sidecar-california-public-utilities-commission-20130730 |publisher= LATimes |accessdate=19 Nov 2013|date= 30 Jul 2013}}</ref>

Summon was the first to receive its TNC permit from CPUC on February 24, 2014 [http://blog.sfgate.com/techchron/2014/03/04/summon-gets-first-california-rideshare-permit/]


==Future Plans==
==Future Plans==


InstantCab is currently available in San Francisco, California.<ref name=Faqs /> The company has plans to expand to other cities and countries soon.
Summon is currently available in California in San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville, and parts of South Bay.<ref name=Faqs /> The company has plans to expand to other cities and countries soon.


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 19:30, 24 April 2014

Summon (formerly InstantCab)
IndustryTransportation
Founded2012
FounderAarjav Trivedi
HeadquartersSan Francisco, California, U.S.
Area served
San Francisco, California, United States
Key people
Aarjav Trivedi, CEO and Founder
ServicesVehicles for hire, Ridesharing
Website[1]

Summon (formerly InstantCab) is a mobile application that matches customers needing transportation with a taxi driver or a personal driver who is willing to provide a ride.[1] Currently, Summon is available in California in San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville, and portions of the East Bay. [2] The app is being used for tens of thousands of rides each month.[2]

History

The idea for Summon was born after Aarjav Trivedi, its CEO and Founder, waited for over an hour for a bus and then a cab to take him to the airport.[3] He missed an international flight because both were late.[4] Trivedi created Summon to give people a simple, fast, reliable, and inexpensive way to get from A to B.[4] Previously, Trivedi founded RideCell which focused on fleet automation to making on-demand transportation fleets easier to manage and access.

During Winter 2012, InstantCab was selected to participate in Y Combinator’s funding cycle. Y Combinator is a company based in Mountain View, California that provides seed funding, advice, and connections to select start-ups.[5] InstantCab received venture funding in 2012 from a group of venture capital and angel investors in Silicon Valley including Khosla Ventures, Redpoint Ventures, General Catalyst, Andreessen Horowitz, Facebook Ex-COO Owen Van Natta and Delicious founder Joshua Schachter.[6] After rebranding to Summon, the company raised another round of funding from existing investors and new investors such as BMW Ventures. [3]

Summon’s offices are in the SoMa neighborhood of San Francisco.[7]

Branding

Summon's logo is the lightning bolt to signify speed an direction. Its colors are orange, white, and black.

Structure of the App

The Summon rider application is currently available on iPhones and Android phones.[8][9]

Customers can use Summon by downloading the app onto their mobile phone and signing up through the app.[10]. As with other ridesharing apps, credit card input is required at sign-up to provide a payment method for rides.

When customers open the Summon app on their phone, they can pinpoint their location on the map or type in their location in the address bar and request a ride. The request is then sent to nearby drivers. Drivers have 15 seconds to accept or reject the ride request. Once a driver accepts a request, there is no cancel button on the driver app that would enable the driver to cancel the request.

The customer is matched with the closest available taxi driver or personal driver who accepts the request.[11] A personal driver is a member of the community willing to provide car rides in his or her personal vehicle.[12] Once matched with the closest available driver, the customer sees a picture of the driver and the driver’s car on the app. The customer can also recognize a personal driver by the Summon lighting bolt magnet displayed on the driver’s vehicle.

Drivers

Taxi drivers can sign up to drive for Summon at http://summon.com/drive. Taxi drivers can also get a credit card swiper from Summon for use with street hails or non-Summon customers. The swiper offers 0 % credit card processing fees for the first two months of swiper use, and 2.5 % after that. [4]

Prospective personal drivers can also apply at http://summon.com/drive. Personal driver applicants must show proof of car insurance, undergo customer service training, pass a 19-point vehicle inspection and pass a background check and geography test.[12]. Personal drivers are regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission [5]. Summon was the first TNC to gets its CPUC permit.

Pricing and Payments

Customers pay taxi drivers the fare that appears on the taxi meter.[FAQs 1] For rides given by personal drivers, the cost is 30 % lower [6] than taxi rides. Summon also currently has a FareBack promotion going, where it credits the customer 30 % of the ride total to use on future Summon rides [7].

At the end of a ride requested through the app, customers use cash-free, card-free payment to pay their driver. [8]. The customer’s credit card that is on file with the app is automatically charged after the completion of a ride.[11] On iPhones, customers can also rate their drivers following a ride.

Reception

On March 15, 2013, TechCrunch featured an article about InstantCab. The article praises InstantCab for its “unique twist on the transportation app business, by combining inventory of taxi drivers along with community ride-sharing drivers.”[6] The article states, “By having drivers from the ride-sharing community as well as the taxi community, InstantCab seeks to provide more supply, safety, and reliability than the other apps out there.”[6] The article also cites a price comparison done by Founder and CEO Aarjav Trivedi, in which he found that InstantCab was cheaper than other ridesharing apps.[6]

In February 2014, InstantCab rebranded as Summon to better communicate that it works with both Personal drivers and Taxi drivers. Summon raised a second round of funding from repeat and new investors. [9].

Regulatory Responses

On December 20, 2012, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) initiated a rulemaking proceeding to determine whether ridesharing apps like InstantCab fall under its jurisdiction and, if so, how to regulate such apps.[13] The CPUC has not yet issued a decision.

On March 8, 2013, Summon received a cease and desist letter from San Francisco International (SFO) Airport, claiming that its community drivers were unlawfully conducting business operations on Airport property without a permit.[14] Summon responded that its personal drivers were complying with the law because they were not picking up customers at the Airport or engaging in commercial activities on Airport property.[15] Other ridesharing apps in San Francisco have received similar cease and desist letters from SFO Airport.[16]

In September 2013, the CPUC unanimously voted to make the agreement permanent, creating a new category of service called "Transportation Network Companies" to cover Lyft, UberX, SideCar, and InstantCab and making California the first state to recognize such services.[17][18]

Summon was the first to receive its TNC permit from CPUC on February 24, 2014 [10]

Future Plans

Summon is currently available in California in San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville, and parts of South Bay.[11] The company has plans to expand to other cities and countries soon.

References

  1. ^ "Community Drivers". RideCell, Inc. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  2. ^ Sullivan, Godfrey. "Splunk Management Discusses Q1 2014 Results - Earnings Call Transcript". Seeking Alpha Inc. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
  3. ^ "Our Story". RideCell, Inc. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  4. ^ a b "Our Story". RideCell, Inc. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  5. ^ "What We Do". Y Combinator. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  6. ^ a b c d Lawler, Ryan. "Y Combinator-Backed InstantCab Provides a Hybrid Alternative to Ride-Sharing and Taxi Apps". AOL, Inc. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  7. ^ "InstantCab HQ". RideCell, Inc. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  8. ^ "iTunes Preview". Apple, Inc. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  9. ^ "InstantCab - Description". Google, Inc. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  10. ^ "Sign Up". RideCell, Inc. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  11. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Faqs was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ a b "Community Drivers". RideCell, Inc. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  13. ^ "RideSharing Proceeding". California Public Utilities Commission. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  14. ^ "Letter From the San Francisco International Airport". Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  15. ^ "Letter from the San Francisco International Airport". Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  16. ^ Lawler, Ryan. "SFO Serves Cease-And-Desist Letters to Keep Ride-Sharing Companies From Operating at the Airport". AOL, Inc. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  17. ^ Yeung, Ken (19 Sep 2013). "California Becomes First State To Regulate Ridesharing Services benefiting Uber, Lyft, Sidecar, and InstantCab". TheNextWeb. Retrieved 19 Nov 2013.
  18. ^ Healey, Jon (30 Jul 2013). "State to L.A.: Hands off Uber, Lyft, Sidecar and InstantCab". LATimes. Retrieved 19 Nov 2013.
  1. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". RideCell, Inc. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
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