This Week in Rideshare: ‘Super app’, studies, and scooters.
Uber adds to its travel hub, a grim reality for gig workers, and scooters return to Chicago. LegalRideshare breaks it down.
MONDAY 4/4/22
Uber expands its EV fleet option in London. Electrive.com explains:
Uber has announced that its passengers can now request an EV from anywhere in London, as its fully electric ride-hail option, Uber Green, has been expanded from Zone 1 to the whole of London.
Since its EV-only option called Uber Green first launched in 2021, the company has tripled the number of EVs available on the app with over 5,000 EVs now on Uber in London. By the end of 2022, the company is set to have over 10,000 EVs in London and is on track to become an all-electric platform in the capital by 2025.
TUESDAY 4/5/22
Uber adds planes and trains to its app. Financial Times reported:
Uber plans to add long-distance travel bookings to its UK app this year, including intercity trains, coaches and flights, as chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi reboots the “super app” strategy he first outlined several years ago. The plan is to expand Uber’s ride-booking app into a one-stop shop for travel that could eventually include hotels. This is aimed at providing a “seamless door-to-door experience”, said Jamie Heywood, Uber’s regional general manager for UK, northern and eastern Europe.
WEDNESDAY 4/6/22
At least 50 gig workers have been killed on the job since 2017. The Hill reported:
“Rideshare companies talk a big game when it comes to safety,” said his attorney Bryant Greening, who works for the rideshare-focused firm LegalRideshare. “Yet nearly every day we hear about Uber and Lyft drivers being victimized by their passengers.”
THURSDAY 4/7/22
You can now book a taxi from the Uber app in San Francisco. PC Mag reported:
A deal inked Monday with Yellow Cab SF (operator of the YoTaxi app), CMT’s Arro, and Flywheel Technologies could mean Bay Area travelers who request an Uber will get a ride from one of the city’s 1,075 taxis, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
“San Francisco taxi drivers will have more access to demand and cities will get fewer empty miles driven, which is a win for drivers, riders, and the cities we serve,” Dennis Cinelli, Uber VP of mobility for the US and Canada, said in a statement to PCMag.
FRIDAY 4/8/22
Scooters return to Chicago. Chicago Tribune reported:
Electric scooters are set to return to Chicago streets this spring, as the city’s first fully-fledged scooter program gets underway.
About 4,000 scooters are expected to hit the streets in early May, operated by three companies and the Divvy bike-share program, city officials said Thursday.
To start, only Divvy scooters will operate in the downtown area, a move intended to manage the devices in a place typically crowded with pedestrians, city officials said. To encourage docking scooters at stations, a fee will be charged for parking elsewhere, Hofer said. The fee will be $1 for members and $2 for non-members.
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.
