Uber
Uber bus just around the corner on post-pandemic public transit map
Urban transportation's transformation has shifted up a gear as the coronavirus crisis turns travel habits on their head, with Uber making allies of public transit systems by now offering to sell them its software expertise. This means Marin County's Transportation Authority will next month allow passengers in the San Francisco Bay area to book a trip through the Uber app, but rather than someone's private car they will ride wheelchair-accessible public vans. From the streets of Utah's Salt Lak
Uber, Lyft drivers are employees, says California regulator
Shares of both the companies fell more than 7% in early trading as the new order strikes at the heart of the "gig economy" business model of technology platforms like Uber, Postmates, Lyft, DoorDash and others. The new law, which took effect on Jan. 1, makes it tougher for companies to classify workers as contractors rather than employees, a classification that exempts them from paying for overtime, healthcare and workers' compensation. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) said dr
Uber launches $50-per-hour booking option in some U.S. cities
The option, which is already available in a handful of cities in Australia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East, will cost $50 per hour. Fares for regular Uber rides are generally based on the level of demand and the trip distance. Uber said it decided to expand the hourly feature to the U.S. after riders requested an option for extended trips during the pandemic to avoid exposure to different drivers and vehicles when taking multiple trips in a confined time period.
Uber sends thousands of Jump e-bikes to the recycling heap
Uber has sent thousands of electric bikes to be recycled for scrap as part of handing operations of their Jump e-bike division to scooter-sharing company Lime.
Uber to focus on core rides, deliveries as it cuts thousands more jobs
Uber will cut about 3,000 jobs, in addition to the 3,700 it had announced earlier this month, Khosrowshahi said, adding that the company plans to reduce investments in several "non-core projects." Khosrowshahi did not directly mention these businesses in his email and a spokesman declined to comment beyond the email. Khosrowshahi said Uber must establish itself as a self-sustaining enterprise no longer in need of outside capital, calling the company's food delivery business Uber Eats the "next
Uber may use its selfie tech to verify drivers are wearing masks
When Uber rolled out its selfie system for drivers in 2016, the ride-hailing company was focused on preventing fraud. Uber said earlier this week — CEO Dara Khosrowshahi reiterated today — that it is working through plans to require drivers and riders to wear face masks or face coverings as it prepares to ramp its ride-hailing business back up after being hobbled by the COVID-19 pandemic. Uber is leaning on a combination of logistics and technology to ensure when rides do ramp up that driver
Uber's phone-based food delivery service targets older Americans
Uber said it planned to expand the service to more cities nationwide in the coming weeks. Many Americans now rely on front-line workers delivering groceries, food and household items to their doorstep. It also comes as demand for Uber's ride-hailing service, the unit contributing the bulk of the company's revenue, has ground to a halt in most U.S. cities since the coronavirus outbreak.
Ex-Uber self-driving head Anthony Levandowski to take plea deal over Google secrets
Engineer Anthony Levandowski, known for advancing self-driving car technology in the last decade, agreed to plead guilty on Thursday to taking sensitive documents from his former employer Google before joining rival Uber Technologies Inc . The U.S. attorney's office in San Francisco declined to comment. Last month, it dropped what remained of a trade secrets theft case involving wearable device company Fitbit Inc and now-defunct rival Jawbone after a San Francisco jury acquit
Uber tries to limit coronavirus spread by suspending shared rides
"Our goal is to help flatten the curve on community spread in the cities we serve," senior vice president Uber Rides and Platform Andrew Macdonald said in a statement. A spokesman said similar steps outside the U.S. and Canada would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Regular rides and the company's food delivery platform Uber Eats remain available, but Uber said it was in contact with local authorities to adjust operations as needed.
Uber's challenge to balance driver safety with customer privacy
Margaret Bordelon can still feel the hands of the drunk man who tried to pull her in for a kiss at the end of his Uber ride last September in Lafayette, Louisiana. An Uber driver for only a few months, Bordelon, 45, finally convinced the customer to let her go. "When I asked Uber what it was going to do to protect me and other women going forward, I received no response," Bordelon recalled.