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I am about to miss my international flight, why did you book an Uber for such an important trip? “
Sarah’s phone buzzes. It’s her CEO, Michael. He’s supposed to be in a board meeting in 23 minutes.
“Driver just canceled. Third one. Still at the house . This is unacceptable.”
Sarah’s stomach drops. She’d booked the Uber 20 minutes ago — plenty of time for the 15-minute trip to the office. But it’s 8:47 AM on a rainy Tuesday in Sydney. Surge pricing is active. And apparently, three different drivers have looked at the trip, seen the traffic, and decided it wasn’t worth their time.
Michael misses the first 20 minutes of the board meeting. The Chairman isn’t impressed. Michael isn’t impressed. And Sarah? She’s frantically Googling “is Uber cheaper than a taxi” while simultaneously preparing her defense for why she didn’t book professional transport in the first place.
The answer she keeps coming back to: “Because it costs too much.”
But does it? Let’s talk about the math that EAs don’t usually do — and the conversation that happens in boardrooms across Australia every single day.
If you’re looking for a quick answer, here’s the breakdown for Sydney corporate travel:
The truth: For one-off personal trips, Uber can be cheaper than a taxi. But for corporate travel during peak hours? Both are more expensive — and less reliable — than you think.
This is the most common objection we hear at Cars on Demand. Executive Assistants call us, explain their boss’s Uber horror stories, get excited about guaranteed pickups and professional drivers… and then see the quote.
“Wait, you’re $50 more than Uber? I can’t justify that to finance.”
Here’s what that calculation misses: You’re comparing the Uber base price to the professional service total price.
You might think, “If Uber is surging, I’ll just book a taxi.”
While taxis don’t have “surge” pricing, they have “meter” pricing. In Sydney traffic, a taxi sitting in gridlock costs you roughly $0.94 per minute of waiting time, plus the $2.50+ booking fee, plus the night surcharge (20% between 10 PM and 6 AM).
A trip from Sydney Airport to the CBD in a taxi can fluctuate between $60 and $100 depending purely on traffic luck. You cannot budget for it, and the vehicle quality is often far below corporate standards.
The taxi meter runs while you sit in traffic. The Uber price surges when demand is high. Neither gives you cost certainty — and neither guarantees your driver will actually show up.
Let’s look at the real numbers:
Uber Quote for 8:30 AM CBD Transfer:
Taxi Quote for Same Trip:
Cars on Demand Quote:
The “premium” price difference vs. Uber surge: $2–7 The “premium” price difference vs. taxi in traffic: Actually cheaper
The value difference: Immeasurable
Let’s talk about why this happens — because understanding the problem helps you see why the solution isn’t “try a taxi instead.”
How Uber Works (From the Driver’s Perspective):
A driver opens their app at 8:30 AM. They see your trip request:
The driver does quick mental math:
Then they see another request pop up:
Your executive’s trip gets declined.
This happens three times in 17 minutes because every driver is making the same calculation. They’re not being difficult — they’re running a business. And your executive’s 14-minute CBD trip during peak traffic just isn’t optimal for their earnings.
Taxis Have the Same Problem:
Taxi drivers can also refuse trips. While it’s technically against regulations, in practice, taxis frequently:
The Professional Service Difference:
Cars on Demand drivers are employees on shift, not independent contractors optimizing earnings per minute. When you book a 8:30 AM pickup, that driver is:
No driver is calculating whether your trip is “worth it.” They’re showing up because that’s their job.
This is where both the rideshare and taxi models really break down for corporate travel.
The Peak Time Trap:
Your executive needs pickup at 8:30 AM — the exact moment when:
So you book at 8:15 AM. Canceled at 8:23 AM. Rebook. Canceled at 8:31 AM. Try calling a taxi — no available cars. Rebook Uber. Finally connected at 8:38 AM. Driver arrives at 8:47 AM.
Your executive’s 8:30 AM meeting? They’re walking in at 9:05 AM.
Why This Keeps Happening:
Both Uber and taxi services operate on a “real-time availability” model. They don’t reserve drivers. They broadcast trip requests and hope someone nearby accepts. During peak times, that hope is often disappointed.
The Pre-Booking Solution:
When you book Cars on Demand at 5:00 PM the day before, you’re not hoping someone accepts tomorrow morning. You’re reserving a specific driver who’s scheduled for your pickup.
No waiting. No hoping. No surprise surge pricing at the worst possible moment.
Here’s the conversation Sarah should have had with her finance team (but didn’t, because most EAs don’t realize they can have this conversation):
The Real Cost Comparison:
Scenario A: Rideshare/Taxi Mix (What You Think You’re Saving)
But here’s what’s missing from that calculation:
Total rideshare/taxi “savings” cost: $28,800 + $13,000 + $7,500 (avg) = $49,300
Scenario B: Professional Service (What You Think Is “Too Expensive”)
What’s included:
Total professional service cost: $35,300
Net difference: $14,000 more per year
Value received: $49,300 in avoided costs = Net savings of $35,000 annually
Here’s what Sarah learned (and what thousands of EAs learn every year):
The question isn’t “Is Uber cheaper than a taxi?”
The real question is “Can we afford NOT to have professional transport?”
When you’re managing C-suite travel, reliability isn’t a luxury — it’s infrastructure. Treating it as optional is like saying “We could save money by giving our CEO a shared desk instead of a private office.”
Technically true. Functionally absurd.
The Math That Actually Matters:
Cost of professional transport: $92 per trip
ROI: Priceless
Sarah to Finance Team:
“I need approval to switch Michael’s ground transport from rideshare/taxi to Cars on Demand. Here’s why:
Over the past 6 months, rideshare cancellations and unreliable taxi service have caused Michael to arrive late to 12 client meetings and 3 board meetings. Last quarter alone, he spent an estimated 8 hours waiting for rides that were canceled or delayed.
At his billing rate, that’s $4,000 in lost productive time — and that doesn’t account for damaged client relationships or board frustration.
Yes, Uber is sometimes cheaper than a taxi on paper. But during peak hours when Michael actually travels, surge pricing makes Uber expensive, and taxi meters make them unpredictable. More importantly, both options regularly fail on reliability.
The annual cost difference between rideshare/taxi and professional service is $14,000. But we’re currently losing $20,000+ annually in Michael’s time, plus immeasurable reputational cost.
I’m not asking to spend more money. I’m asking to stop wasting it.
Can I proceed with a 30-day trial?”
Finance Team’s Response:
“Approved. Why didn’t we do this earlier?”
Don’t compare Uber’s base estimate or taxi meter estimates to professional service quotes. Compare:
Download our ROI calculator and plug in your executive’s actual travel patterns. Most EAs discover professional service saves money when properly calculated.
Propose this to your finance team:
“I’d like to trial Cars on Demand for Michael’s transport for 30 days. If we don’t see meaningful improvement in reliability and time savings compared to Uber and taxis, we’ll revert. But I believe the data will speak for itself.”
Book through carsondemand.link/register, track every trip, document:
At 8+ trips per week, you qualify for corporate account pricing. Once you’ve proven the reliability value during the trial, approach us about:
At 380+ annual trips, most clients save 15–25% vs. per-trip pricing while maintaining guaranteed service.
Sarah scheduled a call with Cars on Demand. She explained Michael’s travel patterns (2 trips daily, 4 days per week), his Uber cancellation frustrations, his taxi meter anxiety, and her budget constraints.
Here’s what happened:
Week 1 (Trial Period):
Week 2–4 (Continued Trial):
Month 2 (Corporate Account Setup):
Annual Results:
Net outcome: $10,400 annual value gain for $2,600 additional spend
ROI: 400%
Sarah’s finance team didn’t question transport costs again.
You can’t afford premium transport.
You can’t afford unreliable transport.
One of these statements is false.
When your executive misses a critical meeting because their third Uber driver canceled (or the taxi they called never showed up), nobody says “At least we saved $50 on transport this morning.”
They say “Why is our CEO arriving late to board meetings?”
The “premium” you’re worried about justifying? It’s already being paid — in executive time, professional reputation, and EA stress.
The only question is whether you’re going to keep paying it invisibly through rideshare chaos and taxi unpredictability, or pay it explicitly for guaranteed professional service.
Most EAs discover the professional service actually costs less when you account for what you’re currently losing.
Try this for 30 days:
Or call us directly at 1300 638 258 and let’s discuss your executive’s travel patterns. At 8+ trips per week, we can almost certainly structure pricing that’s closer to Uber/taxi costs than you expect — while delivering the reliability you desperately need.
The conversation with finance isn’t “Is Uber cheaper than a taxi?”
It’s “Can we afford NOT to have reliable transport?”
And once you run the real numbers, the answer becomes obvious.
Cars on Demand — Australia’s premium chauffeur service since 1990, serving over 5,000 Executive Assistants who discovered reliability isn’t expensive — it’s essential.
📞 1300 638 258 (24/7)
🌐 carsondemand.link/register
Stop losing money on “savings.” Start protecting your executive’s time and reputation.
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