At 9:30 pm on Friday, Uber took passengers in Yass for the very first time.
Caron Casey is Yass’ first-ever Uber driver, and she is confident in her ability to serve the local community moving forward.
“I will serve the people of the Yass community and I will also transport my passengers beyond Yass. It ignites opportunities within passengers to be linked with people, services and places,” she said.
Working in the community service industry pre-pandemic, Covid reduced Caron’s work significantly. Then, needing more work, she decided to join Yass Taxis as a driver, in a role she instantly loved. It was in that role, however, that she discovered a niche demand within the local marketplace, a demand that she hopes to fill as an Uber driver.
“When the pandemic commenced, my workload within the community services sector was reduced by about 50%. It was not long after this that I saw an advertisement that Yass Taxis were seeking a driver. I thought why not, my love for driving combined with my ability to communicate with a diverse range of people might be a good match to top up my bank balance.”
“Whilst Yass is very fortunate to have Yass Taxis there remains gaps within the Yass community for transport options outside of Yass Taxis operating hours.”
“It needs to be everywhere for everyone,” said Caron.
The biggest bonus for Caron is that she believes in Uber she’s found herself a partner with goals and expectations that align with her own.
“The concept of everywhere for everyone is why I have brought Uber to Yass. I am passionate about exceeding the expectations of my passengers.”
“Being an Uber driver creates the ultimate flexibility, it assists with the juggling of down-time with a large family and makes it more manageable. As an Uber driver you can work as much or as little as you like.”
“To be able to provide a dependable and readily available transportation service to the Yass community and surrounding areas requires great commitment and vision. To be backed by a company with the same vision is pretty exciting,” said Caron.
Rather than necessarily being competition for Yass Taxis, Caron wants to help fill the gaps, for the people in the community who require transport outside of the traditional taxi hours.
“I have been conversing with Steve from Yass Taxis daily to ensure there are minimal gaps in transport for our community. Not only looking at the future but right now through this lockdown.”
With the current stay at home orders, the timing could be considered unlucky. Whenever these restrictions are eased, however, Caron might just have more business than ever.
Max O’Driscoll
