Why Your Uber Ride Is Suddenly Costing a Fortune

High demand, high prices, high wait times. Photo: Eduardo MunozAlvarez/VIEWpress/Corbis via Getty Images The lockdown ended. The curfews were lifted. And just as New Yorkers started to peel off their masks and make their way back out into the world, they were confronted by a rather rude reopening reality. Ride-hailing prices are up — way up, by 50 percent or more over pre-pandemic rates.

Much like the supply-chain issues that are plaguing virtually every industry now, Uber and Lyft are dealing with a moment of exceptionally high demand, says Harry Campbell, who reports on the industry at the Rideshare Guy. “People have been cooped up and are taking their first ride in a year, or a year and a half, and there are many more people wanting to get out there.

The labor shortage is not unique to ride-hailing, but the situation is particularly dire right now at Uber and Lyft, where morale among its gig workers is low. Campbell says he talks to drivers every day who say they’re not benefiting from the higher prices that passengers are being charged. Last week, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said the company would be proposing new incentives to draw drivers back to the app. Lyft’s CEO John Zimmer also said the company was considering driver incentives.

New Yorkers do have some new options for booking rides. The app Obi recently relaunched in New York City, allowing users to compare prices for Uber, Lyft, taxis, other black-car services, and micro-transit options like Via. So far, aggregated data shows that riders can do better with some of the lesser-known car services, says Obi’s CEO Payam Safa. “The reality is, Uber and Lyft are more expensive all the time compared to all the other options in our app.

And when it comes to getting around not just New York City but any city, Uber’s business model is, frankly, never going to be sustainable from a financial, environmental, or spatial perspective. “Uber has been losing billions of dollars for years and years,” says Robin Chase, founder of the New Urban Mobility Alliance. “Raising their prices is the only way they’ll ever break even or become profitable.

awalkerinLA .awalkerinLA's report on why ride-hailing rates are skyrocketing was featured today in One Great Story, our reading recommendation newsletter. Sign up here to get it nightly:

United States Latest News, United States Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

‘A rainbow logo isn’t enough’—why LGBTQ workers say some Pride celebrations fall shortA recent survey found while 36% of Americans are confident about their financial wellness, only 31% of LGBTQ+ Americans feel the same way. sharon_epperson reports. sharon_epperson nice MakeIt nice MakeIt Nothing is ever enough for radicals.
Source: CNBC - 🏆 12. / 72 Read more »

Why we should praise Naomi Osaka’s stand on mental healthInstead of ridiculing public figures, we should be praising them for their contribution to a society-wide conversation about mental health that is still in its infancy Opinion | NatashaSHenry NatashaSHenry I hope that all these large-scale military exercises in other people’s countries will count towards the carbon footprint of that country...
Source: trtworld - 🏆 101. / 63 Read more »

Why Anthony Anderson made getting vaccinated a family affairFor Anthony Anderson, it wasn't enough to take his mother and more than 20 family members and friends to get their Covid-19 vaccines. That was just a start for the actor who's been sharing the message, “Get your shots.” - NBCBLK NBCBLK Do what you want people! Don't let millionaires influence you!!!! NBCBLK Didn’t he rape someone? NBCBLK The most dangerous and lethal Vax ever but the Deep State keeps pushing on everybody full-steam-ahead
Source: NBCNews - 🏆 10. / 86 Read more »

Why ransomware cyberattacks are on the riseWhat often begins as an employee clicking a seemingly innocuous link in their email can result in a crisis that brings multibillion dollar businesses to their knees. Extremely high chipsets setup semiconductor breakthrough newest technology semiconductor devices. wow Maybe find out what they are after....Then propose a solution. You'd be surprised how often people just want to negotiate.
Source: ABC - 🏆 471. / 51 Read more »

Here's Exactly Why Straight Women Often Prefer Lesbian Porn, According To Sex ExpertsIt doesn't necessarily mean you're attracted to women.
Source: Women's Health - 🏆 475. / 51 Read more »

Why do we love to pathologise normal behaviour online?By reducing nuances of mental health to sweeping statements, social media might actually be leading to over-diagnosis.
Source: i_D - 🏆 32. / 68 Read more »