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Is Driving For Uber and Lyft Safe?

Harry here.  It seems like there’s no shortage of scary stories in the news about safety issues for Uber drivers.  Today, RSG senior contributor John Ince takes a look at just how safe being a rideshare driver can be and what drivers should do to be prepared just in case.

By now most drivers have heard about the Taco Bell executive who attacked his Uber driver in a now infamous Youtube clip.  But in case you missed that one, the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association (TLPA) has created the website, Who’s Driving You?  

It’s obviously biased, but it paints a pretty damaging image of safety with a long list of frightening incidents.  Whenever Uber or Lyft are pressed on the safety issue, they reflexively respond with a refrain that goes something like, the number of such incidents is very small in comparison to the millions of rides given every day. 

But as the ridesharing platforms grow, they’re also expanding into socioeconomic sectors and regions that are prone to higher crime rates.  In addition, Uber’s decision to test out cash payments in Colorado has raised concerns among many drivers.  Due to all of this, many drivers rightly wonder whether this gig is really as safe as Uber and Lyft want us to think it is.

What do you think about the safety of Uber and Lyft? Has driving become more or less safe? What concerns you (as a driver and/or as a passenger)?

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Uber’s Upfront Pricing is Secretly Overcharging Passengers Without Paying Drivers

Harry here.  One of our goals has always been to bring more transparency to the rideshare industry.  Today, senior RSG contributor Christian Perea takes a look at Uber’s new Upfront pricing system.

Over the past few weeks, we have been receiving emails that Uber’s “Upfront” fares have been overcharging passengers without paying drivers the difference.  In some instances, passengers are getting charged double the actual time and distance for a normal ride, yet drivers are receiving only about half of the amount the passenger pays while Uber is pocketing the difference.

Update 11/29/2016: Lyft in no surprise, has announced that they will launch their own version of upfront pricing as well.

If you’re not familiar with the move to upfront fares, Uber detailed it in a blog post a few months ago.  Basically, passengers in major markets are now required to enter a destination, and the fare they’re quoted is a guaranteed price for that ride.  On surge rides, there is small text that says ‘fares are increased due to higher demand’ instead of passengers having to type in the surge amount like they used to.

Examples of Uber “Skimming Off The Top” of Upfront Fares

Initially, I thought most of these rides were a result of rare occurrences with the Upfront pricing algorithm, so I decided to test it out for myself. It turned out that on the first ride I took, I found a small discrepancy.

I have included four of the most obvious examples below. Feel free to contribute with your screenshots by e-mailing us or leaving a comment below.

Example 1: My “Test” Ride

Upfront Fares

Frey was visibly upset about this.

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RSG Special Report: How’s Austin Doing Without Uber And Lyft?

Harry here.  The battle in Austin has been a huge story over the past month, so Christian and I decided to head to the city that ‘Keeps it Weird’ for four days to see what life is like now that Uber and Lyft are gone.  It turns out that there are a slew of rideshare companies looking to take Uber/Lyft’s place, and they’re doing a lot better than we expected.

Today, RSG senior contributor Christian Perea breaks down what it takes for these companies to make a name for themselves and reviews seven of the biggest options in Austin: Wingz, Get Me, Fare, Arcade City, RideAustin, Fasten and InstaRyde.

Austin rideshare is on fire right now. The Big Two are gone and watching from the sidelines with a nervous glance as new companies rampage through a market that they have spent tens of millions of dollars to build. Also, after a month without any real options, passengers and drivers alike are being presented with a bevy of rideshare apps seeking to fill the void. It’s all quite exciting.

The Rideshare Guy Goes to Texas

We went to find out for ourselves EXACTLY what is going on with rideshare in Austin, Texas.

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All The Programs And Features That Uber Is Currently Testing

Harry here.  Today, new RSG contributor Ryan King and I take a look at all the programs and features that Uber is currently testing!

One of my favorite parts about running this blog is that sometimes I feel like I am looking into a crystal ball.  Not only does every single person with an idea for the next hottest rideshare app or driver product pitch me, but I also get forwarded e-mails from drivers and passengers across the country about ALL the new programs that Uber is testing. And there are a lot.

So I thought it would be cool to have an article that catalogues everything Uber is working on to improve the Uber experience.  Not all of these features and programs benefit drivers, but I’ll let you guys be the judge of that in the comments below.

If you see something that should be on the list, don’t hesitate to reach out to me via e-mail or in the comments below. [Read more…]