Driver display of Lyft and Uber stickers in downtown LA.
Photo credit: Richard Vogel, AP, Jan. 12, 2016.

– “Uber and Lyft Are Threatening to Expose Poor and Elderly to Predatory Practices”
“Despite these problems, ride-hailing companies are being further enmeshed with social life.”

“As this process happens, it’s important to point out who is being left behind: mainly, those who cannot use these services, or who can only use them via intermediaries (which are sometimes predatory). For example, in the United States, both Uber and Lyft generally require a smartphone and a credit card to use the service. This leaves out people who don’t have, or cannot obtain, a smartphone and a credit card, as well as those who don’t want to use either for their transportation.”

“As jurisdictions decide how to respond to the emergence of ride-hailing companies, it should be clear that making vulnerable groups pay more for the same service is not a desirable outcome. In absence of regulations that require ride-hailing companies to serve the poor and elderly better, governments should provide (or continue to provide) alternatives that are more accessible to these groups,” by Kevin Cashman, Truthout.
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– “How ride-hailing apps like Uber continue cab industry’s history of racial discrimination”
“Our new paper, “Racial and Gender Discrimination in Transportation Network Companies,” found patterns of discrimination in how some drivers using ride-hailing platforms, such as Uber and Lyft, treat African-American passengers and women. Our results are based on extensive field studies in Seattle and Boston, both considered liberal-minded cities, and provide stark evidence of discrimination,” quoting The Conversation.com.
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– “Amazon’s increasing retail market share is worrisome for developing local business”
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