ride hailing News

California Puts Waymo Robotaxi Expansion Application on Hold Until June 19

A California regulator has put on hold until June 19 an application by Alphabet’s Waymo to expand its robotaxi services to parts of the Los Angeles area and San Francisco’s peninsula, amid rising safety concerns over autonomous vehicles. The application …

Ride-Hailing Firm Lyft Hikes Service Fee for Rides as Insurance Costs Rise

Lyft Inc. is increasing the service fee its U.S. riders pay directly to the company to cover higher insurance costs, the ride-hailing firm said. The increase averages less than 50 cents per trip nationally, a Lyft spokesperson said. The company …

California Allows Cruise, Waymo Autonomous Vehicle Passenger Service

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on Monday issued permits to self-driving units of General Motors and Alphabet Inc. to allow for passenger service in autonomous vehicles with safety drivers present. CPUC said the GM unit Cruise and Alphabet’s Waymo …

Researchers Find Rideshare Use Linked to Decrease in Collisions and Impaired Driving

The increased use of ridesharing apps appears to be associated with a decrease in motor vehicle collisions and impaired driving convictions,. That’s according to research by The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). The findings based on …

Ride-Hailing Firms Uber, Lyft to Share Background Data on Deactivated Drivers

Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. have created a program to share information about drivers and delivery people deactivated from their platforms for the most serious offenses, furthering a safety push by ride-hailing companies. The Industry Sharing Safety Initiative will …

Rideshare Insurer Buckle Raises $31 Million to Fuel Nationwide Expansion

Buckle, a digital seller of rideshare insurance, disclosed it has raised $31 million in new venture financing and will use the money to expand operations nationally. HSCM Bermuda and Eos Venture Partners co-led the Series A round, which is also …

Uber Gets Mixed Reaction to Public Report on Sex Assaults. Now What?

A day after Uber revealed that more than 3,000 riders and drivers were sexually assaulted last year while using its service, attention is turning to what’s next for the ride-hailing giant and whether its plans to improve safety go far …

Lawsuit Alleges Uber ‘Cheats’ Public by Avoiding Worker Insurance Payments, Taxes

Uber Technologies Inc. faces a new legal attack on its refusal to treat drivers as employees that depicts the company as mistreating not just them but the public at large. A lawyer who’s been fighting the ride-hailing giant in court …

Female Customers Sue Lyft Alleging Sexual Assaults by Drivers

Lyft Inc.’s image as the “woke” ride-hailing company faces a new challenge from a rash of lawsuits filed by women who claim they were sexually assaulted by drivers summoned to take them home after evenings of partying. Since Aug. 1, …

Ridehailing Blamed for Rise in Traffic Congestion, Deaths

Blame Uber. While the era of app-based ridehailing services, such as Uber and Lyft, has been credited with everything from keeping impaired drivers off the road to increasing job opportunities to adding new levels of convenience, there is a downside. …