The popular ridesharing service, Uber begins Kauai service tomorrow!
Beginning tomorrow, March 10, 2017, Uber will launch its service on the island of Kauai. It is the third island in the state to gain Uber service. The ridesharing company first began service on Oahu in 2013, then expanded to Maui in 2014. After Friday, the only major Hawaiian Island that will not have an Uber presence is the Big Island.
Unfortunately, just because Kauai, and the rest of Hawaii has Uber service, it doesn’t mean it’ll be as convenient as other cities around the world. Government in Hawaii tends to be backwards and/or protectionist. So, our distinguished officials have decided to prohibit ridesharing services from operating at our airports. So while you can take an Uber or Lyft to the airport, they can’t pick you up from there.
Value
Uber fares also tend to be quite a bit higher in Hawaii than other locations. For example, from the Royal Hawaiian Center to the Honolulu International Airport, you’ll pay $32-$42 for an uberX. That a distance of just 8.7 miles, and a ride length of about 20 minutes during non-peak traffic hours.
But, a similar ride from Portland International Airport to, say, Portland City Grill, $21-$27 for an uberX. That ride has a total distance of 12.3 miles, with a non-peak traffic ride time of about 20 minutes.
Even in pricey Los Angeles, an Uber ride from LAX to Disneyland will set you back $39-$52. That ride is 33.3 miles long, and will take about 38 minutes during non-peak traffic hours. Like the other examples above, these quotes are for uberX too.
For what its worth, taxis in Hawaii aren’t priced much different. For example, Oahu’s Eco Cab charges $38 for a ride from the Royal Hawaiian Center to Honolulu International Airport. That’s right in the middle of uberX’s quoted price range of $32-$42.
Uber Kauai Final Thoughts
More options and more competition are always welcome. If you want to take ridesharing on your Hawaiian vacation, then great! Unfortunately, thanks to our government’s backwards way, you won’t be able to use Uber or Lyft from the airport to your hotel. And while we’re on the topic of Lyft, that ridesharing service is currently available only on Oahu.
While I personally like ridesharing, and often use Uber while in Seattle, Portland, etc. I highly suggest renting your own car in Hawaii. After all, to best experience the islands, you should get out and explore on your own. It would take too long and be prohibitively expensive to use taxis or ridesharing to do so. But if you do want to take an Uber on Kauai, from 3/10 to 3/13, get a free ride up to $20 off your ride with code RIDEKAUAI.
Interestingly, I assumed that I could Uber from OGG Maui to the Ritz Kapalua. Apparently, the have rides to/from OGG blocked in the Uber app. So, I had to pay a $150 for two r/t shuttle tickets and it took forever. HI government is totally backwards. I was so mad I almost took the public bus (shockingly, I don’t think it would have been much slower than the shuttle).
A, that would be a logical assumption. But, because it’s Hawaii, no. And it isn’t only Uber/Lyft… Our legislature is now thinking Airbnb is bad because it “takes homes away that local people could buy.” This may be true to a degree, but many of the properties on there aren’t ones your average local could buy. Heck, your average local can’t afford to buy property anymore. Period. But of course blaming Airbnb is so much easier than addressing the real problem, which is lack of low and middle class housing development. Most of the new towers going up in Honolulu are for wealthy buyers, not your average Joe.