This Week in Rideshare: Priority, Pandemic and Pricing

Eats goes faster, workers get arrested, and prices have problems. LegalRideshare breaks it down.

MONDAY 6/15/20

It’s the topic of discussion: “Is it safe to Uber?” Huffington Post covered the story, explaining:

“First, we know that the virus is primarily transmitted by respiratory droplets between persons in close proximity (e.g., less than 6 feet away) with higher risks in closed spaces sustained exposure (more than 10-15 minutes),” he explained. “Therefore, using a rideshare or taxi can be moderate to high-risk venues for exposure if someone with coronavirus is in or has recently been in the vehicle.”

To reduce risks, ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft now require drivers and passengers to wear face coverings. Both companies have also announced efforts to send cleaning supplies to drivers.

TUESDAY 6/16/20

Want food faster? Uber Eats has added “Priority Delivery” for just that. Mashable explains:

For an additional 99 cents to $2, you can make sure your delivery driver handles your order first before dropping off another order in the queue. It’s supposed to guarantee anywhere from five to 10 minutes less waiting time.

WEDNESDAY 6/17/20

If the pandemic wasn’t enough, protests and curfews have gig workers facing arrest. Washington Posted interviewed LegalRideshare’s Bryant Greening who added:

Both the pandemic and the protests prompted the companies to transfer responsibility to workers to understand the laws and risks associated with their jobs, said Bryant Greening, a lawyer and co-founder at LegalRideshare, a personal-injury law firm representing ride-share drivers and passengers.

“It’s on the big dog, the company, to take those proactive steps rather than push those responsibilities and those risks onto the little guy,” he said.

THURSDAY 6/18/20

Uber and Lyft’s pricing model has always been under question. On Thursday, the facts came out. New Scientist reported:

By analysing transport and census data in Chicago, Aylin Caliskan and Akshat Pandey at The George Washington University in Washington DC have found that ride-hailing companies charge a higher price per mile for a trip if the pick-up point or destination is a neighbourhood with a higher proportion of ethnic minority residents than for those with predominantly white residents.

The researchers analysed data from more than 100 million trips taken in Chicago through ride-hailing apps between November 2018 and December 2019. Each ride contained information including pick-up and drop-off location, duration, cost and whether the ride was an individual or shared trip. The data doesn’t include demographic details such as the ethnicity of the rider.

FRIDAY 6/19/20

In California, Uber officially pushed its way into public transit. Cities Today explains the agreement:

Uber’s software will power on-demand public transport services through a new deal in California with the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) and the bus agency Marin Transit.

Through the new Connect2Transit programme, riders will be able to book shared on-demand, accessible minibus trips with Marin Transit through Uber’s app.