Lyft taps drivers for strategic input to help navigate robotaxi rollout
Lyft introduced its first-ever Driver Autonomous Forum on Thursday, a new initiative designed to engage seasoned drivers in shaping key strategies as the company begins integrating robotaxis into its ride-hailing service.
The move comes as self-driving technology continues to disrupt the ride-hailing industry. While robotaxis promise increased efficiency and lower costs, they also threaten the livelihoods of gig workers who rely on platforms like Lyft and larger rival Uber for income.
Analysts and experts have warned that without a slow and phased rollout, robotaxis could displace large segments of the workforce.
Over the weekend, Tesla recently deployed a small number of self-driving Model Y SUVs as robotaxis in Austin, Texas, ferrying paying passengers in selected section of the city.
The forum will convene drivers during key moments of robotaxi expansion to provide input on policy, planning, and future job opportunities such as remote vehicle support and fleet management.
The inaugural session will include six to eight Atlanta-based drivers and coincide with Lyft's upcoming autonomous ride launch with May Mobility this summer in the city.
Companies like Alphabet's Waymo and Uber have already made significant strides in the robotaxi space. Waymo has expanded its fully autonomous ride service in Phoenix and San Francisco, while Uber has partnered with several self-driving technology companies to operate driverless taxis in some markets.
Lyft expects its ride-hailing fleet to become a hybrid of human drivers and robotaxis as the technology becomes more widely available.
'We don't claim to have all the answers, but we're committed to finding solutions together,' said Jeremy Bird, executive vice president of Driver Experience at Lyft.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Independent Singapore
4 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
Grab faces pushback from NTUC over incentive changes, delays implementation
SINGAPORE – Ride-hailing platform Grab has postponed changes to driver incentive schemes, following mounting feedback from full-time drivers and the National Private Hire Vehicles Association (NPHVA) that the new structure could destabilise earnings. The revision, originally set to take effect on July 1, would have seen Grab roll out Streak Zones islandwide — a feature allowing drivers to pre-book two-hour high-demand time slots where all bookings are auto-accepted. For every trip completed during these sessions, drivers were promised 5 per cent cashback, paid out the next day. Grab had argued the move would improve driver cash flow and better match supply with peak-hour demand. The 5% incentive was to be drawn from Grab's own internal budget — not passenger fares, as part of a wider restructuring of the monthly bonus scheme. Under the revised plan, lower-tier drivers would have seen their cash bonuses slashed or removed altogether, while top-tier drivers completing 651 or more rides monthly could earn up to 21 per cent in bonuses, lowered from the current 701-trip threshold. See also Pritam Singh says "sparks will fly" come elections Pushback from the ground The announcement triggered pushback from drivers, unions, and MPs alike. In a June 23 Facebook post , NTUC Assistant Secretary-General and MP Yeo Wan Ling cautioned that the changes risked leaving many full-time drivers worse off. 'The added complexity makes it harder for drivers to work out whether they'll be better off compared to the previous structure,' she noted, also highlighting concerns over whether all drivers would have fair access to limited Streak Zone slots. The NPHVA further warned that many drivers rely on these monthly bonuses to supplement base fares and meet income goals. Those completing between 300 and 650 rides monthly, which is a common range among full-timers, were poised to be hit hardest by the revisions. In a joint statement with Grab on June 25, the NPHVA confirmed that the company would pause the implementation of its new structure to ensure 'drivers' concerns are fully addressed before rolling out further changes.' Dialogue reopened Grab said it remains committed to working with the NPHVA and driver-partners to co-develop incentive programmes that balance flexibility, sustainability, and fairness. 'We will continue to engage our partners through feedback sessions and constructive dialogue,' the company said, noting a session had already been scheduled for June 26. The NPHVA echoed that it would continue advocating for drivers' interests, especially regarding income predictability and access to incentives. Next steps? As the ride-hailing landscape evolves, drivers have grown increasingly vocal about structural changes that impact their earnings, especially amid rising operational costs and economic uncertainty. While Grab positioned Streak Zones as a way to reward performance and address high-demand gaps, the latest reversal underscores the importance of consultation and transparency with gig workers when reshaping income models in the platform economy. With the July 1 changes now on hold, the ball is back in the court of collaborative negotiation, a timely reminder that Singapore's ride-hailing industry runs not just on algorithms, but on the real livelihoods of those behind the wheel.
Straits Times
8 hours ago
- Straits Times
Uber in talks with founder to help buy US unit of China's self-driving start-up Pony AI
It is unclear what role, if any, Uber would take in Pony as an investor. PHOTO: REUTERS Uber in talks with founder to help buy US unit of China's self-driving start-up Pony AI SAN FRANCISCO – Uber is increasingly grappling with competition from self-driving taxi services like Waymo. Now the ride-hailing giant is taking more action to deal with that threat. Uber is in talks with Travis Kalanick, the company's co-founder who was forced out in a boardroom coup eight years ago, to help fund his acquisition of the US subsidiary of a Chinese autonomous vehicle company, two people with knowledge of the matter said. The company, was founded in Silicon Valley in 2016 but has its main presence in China, and has permits to operate robot taxis and trucks in the United States and China. The talks are preliminary, said the people. Mr Kalanick will run Pony if the deal is completed, they said. It is unclear what role, if any, Uber would take in Pony as an investor. Financial details of the potential transaction could not be determined. Pony went public in 2024 in the US, raising US$260 million (S$332 million) in a share sale. Its market capitalisation stands at around US$4.5 billion. If the deal goes through, Mr Kalanick, 48, will remain in his day job running CloudKitchens, a virtual restaurant start-up that he founded after leaving Uber in 2017. He would also work more closely with Dara Khosrowshahi, who took over as Uber's chief executive after Mr Kalanick's ouster. The discussions are the starkest sign yet that Uber is under pressure from Waymo, the driverless car unit spun out of Google, and other autonomous car services. Last week Tesla also unveiled a limited robot taxi service in Austin, Texas. Over time, these autonomous vehicle services may replace or eat into rides from human drivers. In cities like San Francisco where robot taxi services are available, the vehicles have become ubiquitous and are popular. An Uber spokesperson declined to comment on deal talks and said, 'Uber has a platform strategy, and we intend to work with multiple players in the US and around the world who can safely bring autonomous technology to the world.' NYTIMES Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CNA
8 hours ago
- CNA
US says deal with Beijing will expedite rare earth exports from China
WASHINGTON: The United States has reached an agreement with China on how to expedite rare earth shipments to the US, a White House official said on Thursday (Jun 26), amid efforts to end a trade war between the world's biggest economies. President Donald Trump earlier said the United States had signed a deal with China on Wednesday, without providing additional details, and that there might be a separate deal coming up that would "open up" India. During US-China trade talks in May in Geneva, Beijing committed to removing non-tariff countermeasures imposed against the United States since Apr 2, although it was unclear how some of those measures would be walked back. As part of its retaliation against new US tariffs, China suspended exports of a wide range of critical minerals and magnets, upending the supply chains central to automakers, aerospace manufacturers, semiconductor companies and military contractors around the world. "The administration and China agreed to an additional understanding for a framework to implement the Geneva agreement," a White House official said on Thursday. The understanding is "about how we can implement expediting rare earths shipments to the US again", the official said. A separate administration official said the US-China agreement took place earlier this week. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was quoted as saying by Bloomberg: "They're going to deliver rare earths to us" and once they do that "we'll take down our countermeasures". While the agreement shows potential progress following months of trade uncertainty and disruption since Trump took office in January, it also underscores the long road ahead to a final, definitive trade deal between the two economic rivals. China has been taking its dual-use restrictions on rare earths "very seriously" and has been vetting buyers to ensure that materials are not diverted to US military uses, according to an industry source. This has slowed down the licensing process. The Geneva deal had faltered over China's curbs on critical minerals exports, prompting the Trump administration to respond with export controls of its own preventing shipments of semiconductor design software, aircraft and other goods to China. In early June, Reuters reported China had granted temporary export licenses to rare-earth suppliers of the top three US automakers, according to two sources familiar with the matter, as supply chain disruptions began to surface from export curbs on those materials. Later in the month, Trump said there was a deal with China in which Beijing would supply magnets and rare earth minerals while the US would allow Chinese students in its colleges and universities.
