Latest news with #ride-sharing
Wall Street Journal
4 days ago
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Lyft's Second-Quarter Profit Rises as Ridership, Bookings Grow
Lyft's LYFT -3.27%decrease; red down pointing triangle ridership and bookings pushed second-quarter earnings higher and the ride-sharing app expects growth to accelerate in the current quarter. The San Francisco-based company on Wednesday posted a profit of $40.3 million, or 10 cents a share, up from $5 million, or 1 cent a share, a year earlier.
National Post
5 days ago
- Automotive
- National Post
A driver's licence can still offer teenage kicks
If the tea leaves are correct, young people could soon be greeting the driver's licence with the all-purpose put-down reserved for everything old, outdated and sanctimonious: 'OK, boomer.' Article content Once a rite of passage for Canadian teenagers, that laminated bit of plastic is losing its allure in the face of ride-sharing, hire bikes, online socializing, rising costs and the scourge of distracted drivers. Article content Article content Article content Surveys in North America and Europe all point to slackening demand, with one British poll suggesting only a third of 17- to 25-year-olds now hold a driver's licence. In Canada, the average age of students taking lessons is 20-plus, according to a report in The Globe and Mail quoting Young Drivers of Canada. Article content In the U.S., Motor Trend found only 49 per cent of 17-year-olds are licensed, compared to 95 per cent of those in their late 50s and early 60s. For older generations, the driver's licence has always been more than an acknowledgment of roadworthiness — it was a ticket to freedom; when 'über' was still just a German word, it was the first step to adulthood. Article content Licensing in Canada is a provincial affair, and Ontario was the first in North America to introduce graduated licensing 30 years ago. It began road tests in 1927, while Quebec did not require them until the 1950s. Alberta issued its first driver's licence — on linen (!) — in 1929, and it is one of the few regions that allows 14-year-olds to acquire a learner's permit. Article content Like thousands of others growing up in small-town Canada, I applied for my learner's permit on the day I turned 16. With the overconfidence of youth, I passed the road test on my first attempt — in a 1963 Ford Fairlane with no seatbelts and where hand signals were still expected. Article content Four decades later I found myself — all perspiring palms, dry throat and blipping heartbeat — back to Square 1, first for the written test and a few months later for the practical. Having relocated to Britain, I am a 1980s teenager again (minus the skin blemishes and flared jeans) as I seek a U.K. 'driving licence.' Article content Thankfully, driver education and testing has improved markedly. I am well-versed in The Highway Code, which sets out the rules of the road, and I pass the multiple-choice theory test with a near-perfect score. Article content But in typical Gen X fashion, I fail to prepare for the hazard-perception segment, a series of CGI clips gauging responses to real-world conditions — a far cry from my perfunctory 1980s paper-and-pen exam. I miss the cut by a few points. Suitably chastened, I plow through dozens of practice videos and pass on the second attempt.
CNET
23-07-2025
- Automotive
- CNET
Uber Will Match Women Riders and Drivers, Starting in Three US Cities
Table of Contents Uber Will Match Women Riders and Drivers, Starting in Three US Cities Uber says it will offer more options for women using its ride-sharing service. The company will roll out Women Preferences in three cities, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Detroit "in the next few weeks," according to an Uber blog post. The features, Ubers says, are designed "to give women riders and drivers more choice, more confidence, and more flexibility when they use Uber." The features include Request on demand, for women to see a list of drivers who are women. If the wait time is longer, the company says, customers can still opt for a faster pickup. Reserve in advance, to pre-book a trip with women drivers. Set a preference, a setting to increase the chances of being matched with a woman driver. Drivers for Uber will have similar matching features in a "Women Rider Preference" toggle switch. The company says these new features were inspired by featured it introduced in Saudi Arabia in 2019. In 2013, Lyft launched a set of features called Women Plus Connect for women and nonbinary riders and drivers.
Independent Singapore
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Independent Singapore
Grab ride sign states that passengers will be charged a premium if the aircon and seats are adjusted without the driver's permission
SINGAPORE: A local Reddit user took to the platform to ask about a sign they had seen in a Grab ride. The sign said they needed to ask the driver before adjusting the air conditioner and seats; otherwise, they would be charged a higher fee. On r/Singapore on May 24, u/hkgnp appeared to think this could be part of company policy rather than something only the driver imposed. 'This is probably already old news, but does anyone know when this was implemented? Was asked by a Grab driver not to adjust the seat; if not, I would be charged a premium, and was directed to the message. Was wondering if this was Grab or driver specific,' the post author wrote. They posted a photo of the sign, which reads as follows: 'Due to a limited four-seater car, a premium 6-seater will arrive shortly for your trip. Please DO NOT adjust the seat and the Aircon Switch without asking for the driver's permission. If you choose to adjust, then u will charge as a Premium fare. TQ for your kind understanding in this matter (sic).' See also Morning Digest, Mar 31 Screenshot The post spawned a lively conversation, and many commenters said it's a case of a driver's presence rather than policy. 'From the language and format, it seems like the driver wrote it. Automated system messages from Grab are written using complete words and are clearly marked. More precisely, the language style matches that of a driver undergoing a mid-life crisis and thinks that their 6-seater is a Rolls Royce or Bentley,' wrote a commenter, who added, 'Anyway, I don't think that they're allowed to anyhow charge more than what the app charges. If they try to extort extra cash, best to collect evidence (e.g., video, audio recording) and raise to grab for a refund.' 'Yup. Sounds like one of those 'MY CAR MY RULES' drivers,' chimed in another. One Reddit user urged the passenger to 'Take the ride and give 1 star,' adding, 'The star hurts more than cancellation,' as this would affect the incentives they receive. Another compared the situation: 'Imagine if you are upgraded for free to business class because economy was overbooked, and the airline says you have to sit upright throughout and use the toilet in the economy cabin. Sounds crappy right? Do not do unto others what you do not want others to do unto you.' One commenter was virtually shaking their head, writing, 'The driver can reject this ride, right? Want to accept, but still want to put so many conditions.' The Independent Singapore has contacted Grab for further comments or updates. /TISG Read also: Ad about '15,932 food pics in your gallery' makes some S'poreans wonder if Grab has access to their phone gallery
