Uber and Lyft are bad. Let's figure out why

There is an opinion that Uber and Lyft are destroying our world. For example, it became known that students at the University of California at Los Angeles make an incredible 11,000 trips using the taxi ordering application every week, which begin and end within campus boundaries. It turns out that applications like Uber, Lyft, Via and similar ones massively increase the number of trips in many of the most popular and convenient places for hiking travel.

In addition, the increase in trips to shortdistance leads to traffic jams, an increase in the number of fatalities on the roads, reduces the number of passengers on public transport, and so on. It is becoming increasingly clear that Uber and Lyft have a rather detrimental effect on public health and the environment. Especially - in the largest cities of the country.

Let's look at the full list of shortcomings of these applications.

The number of trips is growing - and very much

It all happened after recent studies revealed the negative effects of the work of Uber and Lyft.

Trips near the aforementioned university are an example of what is happening on a much wider scale: there are more drivers and driving.

For example, in Seattle, Uber and Lyft serve 90,000 trips per day. This is more than city trams carry in a day.

One study found that in cities withThe highest approval rates for Uber and Lyft driving increased by about 3% compared with the cities with the lowest rates. This is a huge amount of miles.

Estimated by Bruce's transport consultantSchaller, application-based taxis have added about 10 billion kilometers traveled in nine major cities, where they are most used. Until the end of the year, Schaller estimates that the number of passengers using taxis will exceed the number of buses traveling in the United States.

But companies like Uber and Lyft promised that"Free" residents of cities, allowing them not to sell and not buy a car at all. Among car owners, the number of people who receive a higher average salary has allegedly decreased.

But a study by the University of Chicago showedthat the presence of Uber and Lyft in cities actually increases the registration of new cars. Because companies encourage low-income people to buy cars so that they use new cars to work in Uber and similar companies.

Half the time they drive aimlessly

For every kilometer, which is Uber car orLyft travels with a passenger, he travels as many kilometers — if not more — without a passenger, that is, nowhere, aimlessly, just like that. The overall assessment of such a dead end time varies from 30% to 60%.

At the same time, the Uber and Lyft rules exacerbate the situation, prompting drivers to constantly circle to reduce waiting time for customers.

They work in urban transport zones.

Transit systems across the country are losingpassengers because of Uber and Lyft, which shows that companies are essentially struggling with urban transport systems. And all because they have to work in areas that are beautifully covered with city networks. There you can walk on foot and take the tram.

At the same time, according to analysts, traditionalTaxi services serve more commuting in suburban and rural areas. Who uses Uber and Lyft when you can walk? The answer will not surprise you: the rich and the young.

Bicycles, walking paths, urban transport are replaced by Uber and Lyft

In an ideal world, Uber and Lyft could performtheir promises and to reduce private ownership of a car, because city residents would feel more comfortable if they sold their cars and moved to low-cost taxi services.

But the data show that Uber and Lyft for the most part “exempt” people from walking and urban transport.

A survey of 944 passengers of Uber and Lyft, conductedThe City Planning Board in Boston last year showed that 42% of passengers would be transferred to urban transport if the services of the services were not available. Another 12% said they would ride a bike or walk. Another 5% would never go anywhere. And only 17% would say that they would take their own car. (The rest would have taken the traditional taxi).

They harm urban transport

Uber and Lyft destroy urban transport in the United States. For example, bus trips to San Francisco have decreased by 12% since 2010. And every year the effect is increasing.

But every person who refuses the subwayor a bus for the sake of Uber and Lyft, adds traffic congestion and air emissions. Even in cities that have invested heavily in urban transport - the same Seattle - passenger services on Uber and Lyft have long surpassed transit.

They increase road deaths.

In a study by the University of Chicago, about whichmentioned earlier, it is estimated that last year Uber and Lyft increased the death toll on roads by 1,100 people - a huge human sacrifice. The study also unexpectedly showed that Uber and Lyft does not affect drunk driving.

In addition, Uber and Lyft do not teach their drivers safety at all.

They do not disclose data

This list has one drawback: Most of the information we received about Uber and Lyft is incomplete. Two companies make it difficult to study the social consequences of their activities, because they jealously guard their data. And the studies that are conducted on the topic of the activities of companies, they are accused of "deep fallacy."

Do you think that without Uber we would be better or worse? It will be interesting to us to read your comment in our chat room in Telegram.