Uber or a taxi? How the federal government underachieves on digital tech

Uber, Lyft and other ride-sharing services completely reimagined the concept of a car for hire. Compare the taxi experience to Uber.

Rather than standing on a street corner and hailing a random cab, or calling for a cab and waiting for whoever is dispatched to arrive, the customer uses a smartphone app, gets to see the driver’s name, photo, car make and model, and license plate number, where the car is on a real-time map, and driver reviews.

The Uber app allows fare sharing. The difference is a far more customer-focused approach to the car hiring process, all enabled by digital technology. That’s not saying Uber or Lyft are perfect. There are issues with the variable demand-based pricing and labor issues regarding the status of drivers as contractors rather than employees. Issues aside, this type of ride-sharing business is booming and customers who use them frequently like them.

Ride-sharing is just one example of how digital tech can transform a service. Where are those examples in government? The U.S. Digital Service provides some examples and is promoting the idea of “redefining the experience of government.”

The Obama Administration has directed agencies to stand up digital services units, and it is clear that there is a substantial interest in more and better use of digital technology.

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