Call it whatever you want, but SideCar probably won’t be calling its new medical marijuana delivery service in California the “Uber” of pot delivery. In a bid to compete against its rivals in the ride-sharing business as well as take advantage of state marijuana laws, SideCar is launching its service in San Francisco to bring medicinal weed from dispensaries to patients. [More]
ride-sharing
Uber Discouraging Drivers From Using In-Car Advertising Services
By 5.11.15
While some taxi services are using every available square inch of their cars to advertise to passengers and the public, Uber cars have remained ad-free thus far. Some Uber drivers had hoped to make some extra cash through in-car marketing, but the ride-sharing service is saying no.
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Uber Expands Food Delivery Service UberEATS To Chicago, New York City
By 4.28.15
Since opening for business, ride-sharing company Uber hasn’t been content with simply giving customers rides from point A to point B. After dabbling in all kinds of pilot programs including on-demand drop-offs of everyday essentials and courier services, the company seems to have found a second niche: food delivery. And so, Uber plans to expand UberEATS to Chicago and New York this week.
Uber, Lyft Trying To Convince Courts That Drivers Are Not Employees
By 3.12.15
What’s the difference between a contractor working for you and an employee? Often, an employee will receive benefits like health insurance and workers compensation if something goes awry, among other things, while a contractor is hired to do one job and that is it. Uber and Lyft don’t want their drivers to fall into the employee category and be responsible for all that entails, but thus far they haven’t been able to sway the courts to see it their way. [More]
Uber Must End Pilot Ride-Sharing Program In Japan
By 3.4.15
Ride-hailing app Uber does a small amount of business in Japan. Until now, their drivers have been existing drivers of taxis and private cars for hire. The company has been experimenting with a ride-sharing service in the city of Fukuoka. They thought it would get around regulations by not having passengers pay for their rides. That did not work. [More]
Uber Passengers Can Now Earn Starwood Hotels Points With Each Trip
By 2.25.15
Uber and Starwood Hotels are teaming up in an effort to get more passengers to choose Uber over regular taxis, with a new partnership that gives riders Starwood rewards points every time they take a ride using the car-hailing mobile app. [More]
Uber Adding “Panic Button” To Mobile App In Chicago
By 2.13.15
A few weeks after announcing that Uber would implement a panic button feature in its app for users in India after allegations of rape against a driver there, the company now says it’ll be launching the safety feature in Chicago soon as well. [More]
Is Google Planning A Ride-Sharing Service To Rival Uber And Lyft?
By 2.3.15 — Updated: 2.22.17
While everyone is buzzing over a recent report that Google is planning its own ride-sharing service in an attempt to cut a nice slice out of the pie currently enjoyed mostly by Uber and Lyft, the company responded to requests for comment with the kind of non-denial that just makes everyone think something has got to be going on. So what’s the deal? [More]
Poll: Ride-Sharing Services Are Cutting Down On Drunk-Driving Incidents
By 1.27.15
Times used to be, if your friend was drunk and threatening to drive, you’d have to deal with the inconvenience of actually calling up a cab while hiding their keys. But now due to ride-sharing services that can summon vehicles with a swipe on an app, drunk-driving incidents are down. This, according to a poll by one of those services, Uber, along with Mothers Against Drunk Driving. [More]
California DMV Retracts Notice Requiring Uber & Lyft To Obtain Commercial Licenses
By 1.27.15
Just a week after it was widely reported that the California Department of Motor Vehicles issued an advisory requesting all drivers of ride-sharing services to obtain commercial license plates, the agency has revoked the guidance. [More]
California DMV Says Uber & Lyft Cars Need Commercial License Plates
By 1.23.15
Ride-sharing services operating in California have several issues lately: Uber being sued by San Francisco and Los Angeles counties, and L.A. mulling its own ride-sharing-like app just to name a few. Well, things don’t look to be getting any more amicable between the state and car services, as the California Department of Motor Vehicles issued an advisory requiring all drivers for the services to have commercial license plates. [More]
Lyft Switches To Non-Fuzzy, Glowing Mustaches On Cars
By 1.20.15
Lyft already ditched its signature giant fuzzy pink mustaches for the front grills of working vehicles for its classier premium ride service, but regular drivers were still putting fuzzy pink mustaches on the front grills of their cars. Yet Lyft has been dialing back the size of the distinctive decoration, making them smaller. Now, they’re switching to a smaller, but still pink, “glowstache.” [More]
Going Out On New Year’s Eve? Plan Ahead So You Don’t Get Hit By Surge Prices
By 12.30.14
Don’t want to be like that person shocked to find she’s paid out a huge chunk of change the night before due to Uber’s surge pricing? Start the New Year out right and make a plan to avoid those fee hikes, before you hit the bubbly and decide money is immaterial. Your 2015 self will thank you for making the right choice, I promise. [More]
Los Angeles Mulling Idea Of Uber-Like App To Make Taxi Industry More Competitive
By 12.23.14
Two weeks after Los Angeles and San Francisco sued Uber for an array of issues, one of the cities is mulling the idea of making their own taxi system more like the ride-sharing service with a mobile app that would allow customers to hail and pay their fare with the press of a button. [More]
Uber Agrees To Suspend Service In Portland For 3 Months
By 12.19.14
Marking the first time the ride-sharing company has voluntarily agreed to suspend service in a city it’s already established in, Uber has agreed to pull its drivers from the road in Portland for three months as part of a deal with the mayor to work on new regulations. [More]
San Francisco, L.A. Sue Uber For Allegedly Misleading Consumers On Drivers’ Safety, Other Issues
By 12.10.14
After hearing several tales of consumers being mistreated or accosted by Uber drivers, one might begin to question the company’s “industry-leading” practices when it comes to screening drivers. It appears two California district attorneys are doing just that by filing a civil suit against the company for a number of issues including allegedly misleading consumers on its background checks for drivers. [More]
Uber Imposes Surge Pricing After Train Fatality: Is That Profiting From Death?
By 10.16.14
When there is a lot of demand for rides, the car-summoning app Uber imposes “surge” pricing, multiplying the standard fare. This serves to entice more drivers out onto the roads, and also to make some people looking for rides say, “eh, I’ll walk instead.” In the past, the company had promised not to raise prices excessively during emergencies that create high demand for rides, but not all situations that create intense demand are “emergencies.” [More]
Uber And Lyft Now Open For Business In Houston
By 8.7.14
When Uber and Lyft opened for business in Houston, the same thing happened that has happened in many cities with existing livery industries: taxi companies freaked out and sought help from the city government. Now both ride-sharing services are open for business in the city, with some additional rules in place that are intended to help traditional taxi companies compete with them. [More]
