This Week in Rideshare: Safety, Ads, and Mass.
Uber adds safety, ads hit the platform, and a new ballot in Massachusetts. LegalRideshare breaks it down.
MONDAY 8/16/21
As students head back to campus, Uber is adding more safety features. WPDE reported:
Uber has partnered up with the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators and the What’s My Name Foundation to educate college students on rideshare safety.
The “verify your ride” feature now gives riders a unique 4-digit pin to tell drivers before your trip can start.
The app now provides a “share my trip” feature that lets riders share information about their ride with a close friend or family member. Uber says that riders can share their location, their driver’s name and photo, and the car’s license plate.
TUESDAY 8/17/21
Uber drivers get some new perks. Reuters explains:
Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.N) said on Tuesday it had partnered with retail technology startup GetUpside that would allow its drivers and delivery people in the United States get cashbacks and discounts at fuel stations and convenience stores.
Uber drivers will receive free access to the promotions via the GetUpside app under the partnership that began earlier this month, the company said.
WEDNESDAY 8/18/21
Uber throws a “Hail Mary” in an effort to make money: in-app ads. Business Insider reported:
The ads started appearing Tuesday via a pop-up on the screen for some users in the app after a ride was requested and while the app was searching for a driver. Marriott Hotels is the only buyer in this new unit, and the ad appears in a carousel that users can swipe through. An Uber spokesperson said the company had plans to feature other advertisers.
THURSDAY 8/19/21
Will Prop 22 make its way across the country? Massachusetts drivers are about to find out. The Markup reported:
Earlier this month, Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and Instacart submitted a ballot measure proposal to the Massachusetts attorney general — the first such proposal since California’s Prop 22. If passed by voters, the proposal would settle what gig companies consider an existential issue: whether drivers are classified as independent contractors or as employees. The proposal would exempt the companies from a state law that requires them to treat workers as employees and so pay them minimum wage and provide benefits like health care and sick leave. The ballot measure language appears to be nearly identical to what the companies pushed through in California following their $205 million campaign to win over voters.
FRIDAY 8/20/21
The pandemic pushed consumers to grocery delivery, but how many will stop? Columbus Dispatch reported:
The pandemic turned tens of millions of Americans into first-time online grocery buyers, fueling a 54% growth in web sales across the industry last year, according to the researcher eMarketer. Many of those customers are now returning to stores, preferring to pick their own produce and browse the aisles. But some of those online gains will stick, experts said, forcing groceries to adapt to changing shopping habits.
LegalRideshare is the first law firm in the United States to focus exclusively on Uber®, Lyft®, gig workers, delivery and e-scooter accidents and injuries.
