Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings endorsed ride-sharing company Uber’s drive for more drivers and better service in southern Dallas this week.
Rawlings said it is new support for his “Grow South” initiative to bring investment and jobs to the city’s southern sector.
“Southern Dallas is a place where people can come, make the life better for the citizens, employ citizens and that’s how our city grows,” Rawlings said.
The Uber announcement came Wednesday at a job training center beside Southwest Center Mall. A new owner is making a big investment in the struggling mall.
Dallas Uber executive Leandre Johns said his company sees opportunity for more business in southern Dallas, too.
“This is just an issue that we’re taking a little bit more, to continue to grow the business even further, and to make sure that economic opportunity is spread throughout all of Dallas,” Johns said.
Duncanville Uber driver Robert Monk said there is plenty of business in southern Dallas and room for more drivers.
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“It’s very flexible and you get to do a lot of things you can’t normally do with a regular job,” Monk said. “And the income is good.”
Ride-sharing companies operate with smart phone apps to summon drivers and pay fares as compared to taxi cabs that use telephones and websites to book rides and meters to pay fares.
The growth of ride-sharing has come at the expense of taxis and some taxi drivers complain ride-sharing has been granted unfair advantages.
Rawlings had no apologies for supporting Uber expansion in southern Dallas.
“For me, it’s all about jobs,” Rawlings said. “These individuals in southern Dallas are looking for opportunity.”
