This Week in Rideshare: Self-driving, Operational Error, and Surge Pricing.
D.C. goes driverless, Uber says “oops” and taxis get a boost. LegalRideshare breaks it down.
MONDAY 1/27/20
Even among the concerns that autonomous vehicles may not be ready for prime-time, Uber is officially launching driverless cars in D.C. The Washington Post reported:
After its digital mapping is completed in Washington and other technical work is done in Pittsburgh, Uber will begin its autonomous operations on District roads with speed limits of 25 miles per hour, company officials said.
TUESDAY 1/28/20
On Tuesday, news broke of drivers being deactivated and losing UberCash balances. Uber’s response: “Sorry.” Forbes Reported:
An Uber spokesperson told Forbes that in the last 24 hours, an ‘operational error’ due to an app update has since been rolled back, apologized to impacted users, and that their account access has been restored.
WEDNESDAY 1/29/30
In an effort to restructure the company, Lyft has announced job cuts. Financial Post reported:
The ride-hailing company, which operates in 300 cities in the United States and Canada, plans to inform employees on Wednesday, the report said. Lyft did not immediately respond to a Reuters’ request for comment.
THURSDAY 1/30/20
They’re baaaack! After e-scooters hit the streets of Chicago last year as a pilot program, it was uncertain if they’d return. On Thursday, ABC 7 reported the consensus: They’re back…for a SECOND pilot.
“We learned a great deal from this pilot, including that there is significant demand for scooters as a transportation option,” BACP Commissioner Rosa Escareno said. “We look forward to a second pilot in 2020 that focuses on equity, parking solutions and safety.”
FRIDAY 1/31/20
In an effort to help struggling taxi drivers, NYC officials have proposed adding surge pricing to compete with Uber and Lyft. ABC News reported:
“During our discussions, it became abundantly clear that the medallion taxi industry in our city is in a state of crisis, and the time to take urgent, bold action to remedy the situation is now," City Councilmen Ydanis Rodriguez and Stephen Levin, chairs of the task forces, wrote in a letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio Friday.
