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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Uber is being sued by thousands of London cab drivers over claims it operated illegally.</li><li>The suit could ultimately be worth over £250 million ($313 million) law firm Mishcon de Reya said.</li></ul>Over 10,000 London taxi drivers are suing Uber for £250 million ($313 million), the legal firm <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mishcon.com/news/mishcon-de-reya-issues-claim-against-uber-on-behalf-of-over-10500-black-cab-drivers">Mishcon de Reya</a> announced.The lawsuit alleges <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/is-driving-for-uber-worth-it-declining-pay-more-competition-2024-4">Uber</a> misled authorities to get its license to operate in the British capital, and that it intended to gain market share unlawfully — taking business away from the existing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/black-cab-driver-london-crazy-famous-passengers-2022-11">black cabs,</a> which have become an icon of the city."Uber knew this at all material times; and that in order to obtain its licence Uber deliberately misled Transport for London as to how that operating system worked," said RGL Management, the legal firm working with the drivers, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-05-02/uber-hit-with-250-million-suit-from-london-s-black-cab-drivers?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=bd&amp;cmpId=google">per Bloomberg.</a>An Uber spokesperson told Bloomberg the claims are "completely unfounded."Mishcon de Reya filed the suit on behalf of RGL in London's High Court."Uber has consistently failed to comply with the law that applies to private hire vehicles in London and so we are pleased to be issuing today's claim on behalf of almost 11,000 London cab drivers," said Richard Leedham, partner and head of commercial disputes at Mishcon de Reya.

Uber is being sued for over $300 million by thousands of London's iconic black cab drivers

As nationwide protests by doctors continue over the alleged rape and murder of a trainee case at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, <keyword id="19934441" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="patients" source="keywords">patients</keyword> at Delhi's Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital are experiencing delays in treatment. On Thursday, long queues formed, as the hospital struggled with reduced staffing due to the ongoing strike. Dr Ajay Shukla, Medical Superintendent at RML Hospital, said that they faced issues due to the influx of patients from distant locations. "Our faculty are doing their best to attend to patients in the OPD, but due to the shortage of doctors, it's taking more time. Our elective operation theatres (OTs) are functioning, but compared to before the strike, there has been a decline. Emergency OTs are operating normally, but there is a 40% reduction in elective OTs," he said. Dr Shukla expressed hope that the doctors would end their strike soon, noting that the <keyword id="19900449" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="government" source="keywords">government</keyword> has addressed all their demands."I appealed to the doctors yesterday to call off their strike. I hope it will be called off today, as the government has met all their demands. The matter is also being heard in the Supreme Court, and the Chief Justice of India has also made an appeal," he added. A patient at the hospital told that his operation had been delayed for a long time. "Every time I come here, they delay the operation with some excuse. I have no place to stay and have to sleep on the street," he said. Another patient, Rakesh Verma, who came for his 32-year-old son's treatment, said he had visited many <keyword id="19910449" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hospitals" source="keywords">hospitals</keyword>, including private ones, without success. "My son's hands and feet have swollen in the last 2-3 days. We have been going to government hospitals, but they are on strike. I even went to a private hospital, but there was no help. Where should I go now?" he asked. Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry issued an Office Memorandum on Wednesday regarding the National Task Force, formed by the Supreme Court to ensure the safety of <keyword id="20551393" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="medical-professionals" source="keywords">medical professionals</keyword>. The panel will be headed by Cabinet Secretary, Government of India as its Chairperson, and has been constituted following the Supreme Court's direction on August 20. Due to the ongoing strike by resident doctors, services at AIIMS, Delhi, are severely impacted. OPD services are down by 65%, admissions by 40%, operation theatres reduced by 90%, laboratory services by 30%, radiological investigations by 55%, and nuclear medicine by 20%, as of 4:30 pm yesterday. On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, sparking nationwide strikes and protests by the medical community. <h2>Commute also disrupted </h2>Not just patients, commuters in Delhi-NCR also faced a tough time, as taxi and autorickshaw drivers began their two-day strike on Thursday, demanding better compensation from cab aggregator services. Taxi and auto unions said inadequate compensation, coupled with aggergators launching bike taxi services has hit their livelihood. 80% of autorickshaws and taxis are off the road in the national capital, Delhi Auto Taxi Transport Congress Union (DATTCU) president Kishan Verma claimed, and announced that a protest will be held at the Jantar Mantar. Anil Pradhan, a cab driver, demanded a ban on bike taxis that offer services using non-commercial numberplates. "The government should step in and ban the commercial plying of vehicles with non-commercial numberplates. It is becoming difficult to make ends meet," he said. Adarsh Tiwari, another cab driver, said, "The companies offer us very less rate for our services. Due to this, we are unable to pay the installments of our vehicles and meet other expenses. We are unable to ensure good education for our children and sufficient food for our families." People took to social media to complaint about delay in getting cabs and cancellations. "Spent the last 35 mins trying to get a cab in Noida for Delhi. What's wrong with @Olacabs @Uber_India @rapidobikeapp," X user Prashhush posted. Another X user, Kshitiz Agarwal said,"Is it only me or uber doesn't work anymore now? Couldn't find a uber cab for 30 mins nowadays even at posh localities like south extension, new delhi #uber #ola." DATTCU president Verma said that "we will also be holding a protest at Jantar Mantar to demand a ban on plying of private vehicles by cab aggregator companies. Why are we made to take permits and pay taxes when private vehicles are allowed to ply? We demand that the government impose a ban on them."

Doctor protests disrupt services, patients face long delays, auto and cab drivers on strike as well

Leading US asset manager <keyword id="174755" type="General" weightage="70" keywordseo="vanguard" source="Orion">Vanguard</keyword> has further slashed its holding in ride-hailing major <keyword id="6354720" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="ola" source="Orion">Ola</keyword> by more than half, which takes the Bhavish Aggarwal-run company's valuation down to nearly $3.5 billion from $7.3 billion at the end of 2021. According to a TechCrunch report, citing Vanguard's filings, the investment firm has cut the worth of its shares in Ani Technologies, Ola's holding firm, by 51.6%. "The asset manager marked down the holding of its Ola shares to $25 million, from the $51.7 million purchase price years ago, the filings showed," according to the report. Vanguard had valued its Ola's shares at about $33.8 million in February this year. In May, Vanguard had slashed Ola's valuation by 35% amid global macroeconomic conditions, reducing its valuation to about $4.8 billion. Ola has raised more than $3.9 billion over the years, according to public data. IPO-bound Ola Electric has also recorded an operating loss of $136 million (roughly Rs 1,116 crore) and revenue of $335 million (roughly Rs 2,750 crore), missing its revenue goal disclosed publicly. The company reported sales of over 1,50,000 electric scooters for FY23, according to a Reuters report. In the first two months of FY23, Ola Electric claimed to have surpassed Rs 500 crore in revenue and was on track to surpass $1 billion by year's end. In January, Ola laid off 200 employees from its <keyword id="6362049" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="ola-cabs" source="Orion">Ola Cabs</keyword>, Ola Electric and Ola Financial Services verticals as part of the "restructuring" exercise. Ola joins a growing list of Indian unicorns who have significantly lost their valuations. Invesco lowered Swiggy's valuation by almost half to $5.5 billion in earlier this year while leading US investment firm Fidelity reportedly slashed the estimated worth of its holding in homegrown conversational engagement platform Gupshup by over 20% in a month.

Ola's valuation slashed by more than half by Vanguard

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Uber's CEO has some doubts about Elon Musk's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla">Tesla</a> Robotaxi plan.</li><li>Dara Khosrowshahi questioned if Tesla owners would want strangers riding in their cars.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-uber-and-its-rise-to-become-the-most-valuable-startup-in-the-world-2015-9">Uber</a> CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is skeptical about <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk">Elon Musk's</a> Robotaxi plan.The idea is that Tesla owners will rent out their vehicles as taxis when they aren't using them, creating <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-robotaxi-ride-hailing-app-video-2024-6">a fleet of privately owned autonomous cabs</a> that can be "summoned" at the click of a button. Musk has said it could earn Tesla owners up to <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-tesla-robotaxi-app-make-money-repurposing-cars-autonomous-2019-4">$30,000 a year</a>.On an episode of "The Logan Bartlett Show" <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TqU93IQOi8">released on Friday</a>, Khosrowshahi said it "wasn't clear" to him that the average <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-owner">Tesla owner</a> would want "to have that car be ridden in by a complete stranger."He also doubts that Tesla's taxis could meet demand during peak times."Probably the times at which you're going to want your Tesla are probably going to be the same times that ridership is going to be at a peak," he said. Comparatively, Khosrowshahi said Uber can quickly adjust the number of part-time drivers to meet demand <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-ceo-taylor-swift-effect-2024-2#:~:text=Uber%20CEO%20Dara%20Khosrowshahi%20confirmed,on%20Taylor%20Swift's%20economic%20impact.">during rush hour or large events</a>.Khosrowshahi also said Musk might be underestimating a key part of the business. He said building a $50,000 piece of hardware is a "very, very different business" than driving over 30 million transactions every day. There is also the customer service side of things, like when someone gets sick during a ride or <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ten-weirdest-things-left-in-ubers-in-2023-2024-4">loses an item in a car</a>, he said.But Khosrowshahi said he doesn't think of the business as a "zero-sum game" and seemed to welcome collaboration with the EV giant. He made an analogy to fast food chains, which have their own "direct channel to consumers" but also work with other platforms in the marketplace to maximize efficiency and usage — like delivery services.Khosrowshahi said he thinks the same will be true of cars. For example, Tesla could build its autonomous vehicles and then partner with Uber to turn them into a ride-hailing service."It's taken us 15 years. It's taken us tens of billions of dollars of capital, and we can provide that instantly to a partner," Khosrowshahi said. "Hopefully, Tesla will be one of those partners."

Uber CEO says there's a potentially big problem with Elon Musk's Robotaxi idea

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gm-recruiter-wants-to-hire-interns-impacted-by-tesla-cuts-2024-5">Tesla</a> is trying to use its full self-driving technology to run fleets of taxis.</li><li>But Uber's CEO said that Tesla will need tools that his rideshare company already has.</li></ul><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-autopilot-safety-assisted-self-driving-systems-2024-3">Tesla wants its self-driving technology</a> to power robotaxis. But Uber's CEO says his company could play a key role to have it make financial sense.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-ceo-became-undercover-boss-used-tesla-surprised-rude-riders-2023-4#:~:text=When%20Khosrowshahi%20made%20food%20deliveries,before%20reducing%20it%20after%20delivery.">Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi</a> praised Tesla and CEO Elon Musk in a Wednesday interview with CNBC after Uber reported first-quarter results."I would never underestimate <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-tightens-grip-tesla-top-exec-redeployed-china-2024-5">Elon Musk</a> and Tesla. We're big fans of his," he told CNBC. "They're clearly the leaders in EVs, and we have a lot of Teslas in our marketplace."But Tesla will need more than just self-driving cars to make robotaxis a reality, Khosrowshahi told CNBC. Uber already offers some of the needed tools, including scheduling, pricing, and identity verification technology, which any manufacturer of autonomous vehicles (AVs) would use to start offering rides, he said."As a result, we think we're in a great position to work with any and all AV manufacturers as the technology develops safely, including Tesla," he said, referring to autonomous vehicles."We can drive enormous demand to this promising technology," Khosrowshahi added.Musk reportedly discussed rolling out <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-looking-to-deploy-its-robotaxis-in-china-2024-5">Tesla's full self-driving, or FSD, technology with officials in China</a> during a visit to the country last month. During the meetings, the officials also expressed interest in potentially using FSD in China's taxi cabs.In the US, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-fsd-full-self-driving-san-francisco-sunset-district-testing-2024-5">Tesla is still testing FSD.</a> The technology has reportedly struggled to navigate some parts of San Francisco, like making left turns at busy intersections.

Uber's CEO: Tesla will need us for robotaxis

<div type="image" title="One Planet Banner Test" height="138" width="1100" msid="109509214" hostid="261" sizebytes="5076"></div>On one Upper West Side side street, you can hear the quiet hum of electric vehicles almost all day and night.Manhattan isn't known for its plentiful parking. But this street has something even rarer: two public spots reserved for EV charging. Often, vehicles linger for hours.On a recent weekday, one licensed ride-hailing driver had been charging for more than 12 hours. Another EV sat for more than five hours at the neighboring plug. For the ride-hailing driver, that's 12 hours they didn't work. For other EV owners, it's one less charger to plug in to. A Tesla slowed as it drove by in hopes the spaces weren't occupied.This snapshot in time comes as New York City aims to convert almost its entire ride-hailing industry to EVs by 2030, with the exception of wheelchair-accessible vehicles. Mayor Eric Adams' Green Rides Initiative affects the city's more than 84,000 Uber and Lyft drivers — among the largest markets in the world. It's an ambitious target, given that under 10% of rides were taken in an EV in March, according to city data.The biggest hurdle is building enough public chargers, especially in such a densely packed city with an old power grid and lengthy bureaucratic delays. For Uber and Lyft drivers, time is money, so widely accessible charging is key to the EV switch. The majority live in NYC's outer boroughs, such as Queens, and park on the street, where chargers are sparse. A <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy22osti/82293.pdf">study by the US Department of Energy</a> found that 1,000 fast chargers were needed for every 20,000 EV drivers on the road. Currently, there are fewer than 200 across NYC. Plus, building thousands of new chargers requires billions of dollars of investment.City officials and ride-hailing companies told Business Insider that electrifying the sector could unlock a broader EV revolution because it could solve a crucial conundrum: Companies won't build charging stations if there aren't enough drivers, but drivers won't buy an EV if charging isn't widely accessible."This is the industry that's going to get this infrastructure off the ground because a ride-share driver is a great customer for a charging station," said Bobby Familiar, a spokesperson for Revel, an all-electric ride-hailing service that operates three public fast-charging stations in NYC. "They have to charge every single day that they do a shift. They want fast charging because every minute spent at the charger is time they could be on the road earning a fare."Electrifying the ride-hailing industry also has big returns for the environment, Michael Replogle, a former deputy commissioner for policy at NYC's Department of Transportation, said."If you can electrify Ubers, Lyfts, and taxis that drive several hundred miles a day, it will really reduce the city's carbon footprint and clean up the air," he said.Given the stakes, a lot has to go right in the coming years. The city has to strike a balance between the number of EV drivers and charging sites. Long wait times risk turning off drivers from making the switch, but if there isn't enough demand, the economics could fall apart for stations run by the government or private entities. Chargers also must be in neighborhoods with a history of underinvestment.<h2>A mad dash for EV licenses</h2>The transition is getting an early test this year now that thousands more ride-hailing drivers have licenses.In October, the Taxi &amp; Limousine Commission opened applications for this gig work for the first time in five years — but for EV drivers only. A cap had been in place since 2018 to stabilize drivers' wages and decrease traffic congestion.The TLC approved about 8,400 EV licenses. That brought the total to more than 11,000, a huge jump compared with several years ago.The program is on hold because of a lawsuit filed by the New York Taxi Workers Alliance. It represents the yellow-cab industry, which isn't under the EV mandate but can voluntarily make the switch to certain models. The alliance argued that the market would become oversaturated.TLC Commissioner David Do said many of those who applied were ride-hailing drivers already and the total number of drivers in NYC was still lower than pre-pandemic levels.A lot of ride-hailing drivers are excited about the EV push because it's a pathway to owning their own car, rather than renting from fleet owners, according to Aeraj Qazi, the owner of Primetime Brokerage, which helps drivers through the TLC licensing process."Rentals are like handcuffs for drivers, so EVs provide an opportunity for drivers to own their own plates," Qazi said.Weekly rental rates average between $450 and $600, several drivers told BI. That's more than a typical monthly car payment.Qazi said he and other brokerages helped file thousands of EV applications before the court-ordered injunction took effect late last year."We didn't realize how crazy it would get. The charging infrastructure isn't there right now," Qazi said.Guillermo Fondeur, an Uber driver who bought a Tesla in 2021, charges at home. He said the switch had saved him money on gas and maintenance, and he earns some perks from Uber, including an extra $1 on every ride.But he's heard complaints from other EV owners about the lack of public charging infrastructure."It's very inconvenient to find chargers," Fondeur said. "There are one- to two-hour waits to plug in some places."He added: "Drivers want to charge on the block where they live. The city could put chargers in the parking spaces. There's also a lot of parking lots."<h2>NYC's most valuable asset</h2>Today, there are nearly 200 fast chargers in NYC and more than 1,900 Level 2 chargers. The Adams administration <a target="_blank" href="https://climate.cityofnewyork.us/subtopics/electric-vehicles/">wants to grow the network</a> this decade to 6,000 fast chargers and 40,000 Level 2 plugs."We need every space we can find," Do said.In general, EVs can get up to 30 miles of range for every hour they're plugged in to a Level 2 charger. That makes them ideal for overnight street parking, or for several hours during the day while drivers run errands or go to work. Fast chargers, such as those in Tesla's Supercharger network, can add up to 200 miles of range in just 15 minutes, helping ease range anxiety among road trippers and ride-hailing drivers who need a quick refill but don't want to lose too much time.Making progress in NYC requires coordination across the government, power utilities, and private companies. Do is part of a charging task force that brings those parties together.The TLC is sharing data on where drivers live and where and how often trips happen to help inform where chargers should be. The utility Con Edison is identifying where enough power is already available for new chargers and expanded a statewide program that subsidizes the cost of bringing electricity to chargers to $585 million. The Department of Transportation is investing in some curbside charging and fast chargers <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/pr2023/fast-charging-hubs.shtml">in municipal parking lots</a>.The department's efforts build on a <a target="_blank" href="https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/68833">curbside-charging pilot</a> with Con Edison and a Canadian company, Flo. It created 100 Level 2 plug-ins across all five boroughs, a spokesperson for the department said, and there are plans for hundreds more.But those efforts alone won't spur enough development, Replogle, the former DOT official, said."It took us 3 ½ years to stand up that pilot," he said. "We recognized we would not be getting thousands of on-street Level 2 chargers by scaling up that model. It's going to take some competitive procurement with the private sector to make this happen."There are barriers, Replogle added. There isn't a clear path for private charging companies and real-estate owners to get regulatory approval for installing curbside plugs."Street space is one of the most valuable assets the city owns," Replogle said. "There are 3 million parking spaces, and less than 250,000 of them are priced. So there are a fair number of spaces that can produce the kind of economic return for electrification to happen."A DOT spokesperson said the department last year sent out a request for information from EV-charging companies, which will inform future partnerships.Beyond curbside, there are hurdles for companies such as Revel that are building larger fast-charging stations with dozens of plugs. These sites often need electrical-power upgrades to connect to the grid, a lengthy process with Con Edison."We're approaching every charging station like it's a new high-rise building," Familiar said. "But the timeline for getting a charging station up and running is a lot different than a building. If we have power, we can get a site done within months, not years. The power-upgrade timeline does not match that."Charging stations should go to the front of the line, he added.A spokesperson for Con Edison said the utility was evolving its grid-planning process to prepare for large EV loads."When upgrades are needed at the customer property, we are working to reduce interconnection timelines at every step in the process from early customer engagement and education through improved work coordination and collaborating closely with municipalities on permitting," the spokesperson said.<h2>The charging pipeline</h2>Despite the delays, Revel has a pipeline of 300 fast chargers over the next two years, Familiar said. That figure reflects active site leases in various phases of design and construction.Revel owns a fleet of 500 vehicles and more than 50 plugs in NYC that are open to any model.One of the new stations is set to be at LaGuardia Airport, one of the busiest areas for ride-hailing trips in the city. Installing 48 plugs would make it the largest fast-charging location at any airport nationwide. It's expected to open next year.Revel in March also struck a deal with Uber that guaranteed its drivers would use at least 250 of Revel's plugs a certain amount of the time. If Uber doesn't meet the use threshold, it's financially liable. In exchange, Uber drivers will get up to a 25% discount when they charge.The agreement could help Uber meet its own goal to have its drivers go fully electric this decade. So far, more than 6% of Uber's fleet in the US and Canada has zero emissions, and more than 17% of trips in NYC were in EVs last year. The company said it's spending $800 million by 2025 to encourage drivers to make the switch.Josh Gold, Uber's senior director of public policy, said that after the TLC lifted its cap on EV licenses, he saw longer lines at Tesla's Superchargers. And for years, many of the platform's early EV adopters were going to Manhattan to charge, often in paywalled parking garages."That's not where our drivers live," he said. "So that's been a worry, but now we're seeing the charging infrastructure develop more."Uber is sharing ride data with Revel so it can locate chargers in the most convenient places for drivers. Uber has a similar agreement with Tesla.Lyft, for its part, said it's investing $80 million through 2025 on its EV push and working with charging companies including EVgo and Electrify America to offer discounts. Nearly 17% of NYC Lyft rides were in EVs last year.The rising demand from the ride-hailing industry for EV charging could help buoy other startups. Itselectric is piloting some Level 2 curbside charging using excess power from buildings, which avoids the need for utility upgrades and therefore could speed up the build-out. In a parking garage in midtown Manhattan, Gravity in March opened what it says are the 24 fastest chargers in the country.Almost everyone BI interviewed for this story acknowledged that the city's EV's ambitions were lofty.There are some promising signs, however.Do said that the Green Rides Initiative was two years ahead of schedule. By 2025, at least 15% of ride-hailing trips were supposed to be in zero-emissions or wheelchair-accessible vehicles. That threshold was crossed in January and ticked up even higher in March to 17%. That month, more than 2 million trips were taken in an EV — a fivefold increase compared with November.Do said he wanted to boost the TLC's outreach to drivers so they could understand the perks of switching to an EV."There are so many more benefits to a green vehicle, not only for the future of our city but for kids who will breathe cleaner air, and it also might be a little cheaper," he said. "So we've laid the foundation, but now we need to convince many other drivers to convert."Juliana Kaplan contributed to this article.This article is part of "<a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/the-great-transition">The Great Transition</a>," a series covering the big changes across industries that are leading to a more sustainable future. For more climate-action news, visit Insider's <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/one-planet">One Planet</a> hub.

NYC's EV revolution is riding on Uber and Lyft drivers

<ul><li>Ola and Uber asked to showcase their algorithms related to ride cancellations and surge pricing.</li><li>Order came after CCPA received numerous complaints of unfair trading practices.</li><li>According to a survey by LocalCircles, 71% of customers continue to face ride cancellation issues.</li></ul>As thousands of commuters find themselves at the mercy of Uber and Ola drivers via ride cancellations, cancellation charges, random surge pricing and long waiting times, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) was set to grill cab aggregators over their algorithms on Tuesday. The regulator, under its Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare, was set to ask cab-hailing platforms to showcase their algorithms related to ride cancellations and surge pricing, along with questioning them over other issues. The CCPA has received numerous complaints of unfair trading practices, such as cab drivers forcing riders to cancel trips that result in the customers paying the cancellation charge. The authority is of the view that old customers are being charged exorbitant rates while new riders are being wooed by low fares for the same distance. Despite the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines 2020, 71 per cent customers say that ride cancellation issues by drivers continue, according to a survey by community-based social media platform LocalCircles last month. Over 45 per cent of app-based taxi consumers stated they were charged more than 1.5 times in surge pricing despite the threshold being set by the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines 2020. The extortionist practices of some drivers to undertake private trips were reported by consumers as a major concern, the report said. As thousands of Indian riders continue to suffer from paying cancellation fees sans their faults, the ride-hailing major in Australia admitted that it made false or misleading statements in cancellation warning messages and taxi fare estimates, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). Uber now faces $26 million (Australian dollars) in penalties for adopting those illegal practices. More than two million Australian consumers were shown the misleading cancellation warning. Envisioned to lessen the travel woes, cab-hailing platforms like Uber and Ola have come a long distance in India, but riders are increasingly facing more issues. Most of the time, Uber and Ola drivers ask the riders to reveal what fare the Uber app is showing, and then decide if they want to take the ride or not depending on the amount and if it is in cash, forcing the riders to cancel the ride. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/10-things-in-tech-its-about-to-get-ugly/articleshow/91440115.cms">10 Things in Tech: It's about to get ugly</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/meditation-app-calm-launched-a-contest-to-find-tiktoks-smoothest-voice-the-winner-will-be-paid-5000-to-narrate-a-story/articleshow/91441165.cms">Meditation app Calm launched a contest to find TikTok's 'smoothest voice' – the winner will be paid $5,000 to narrate a story</a>

Indian regulator to grill Ola and Uber over rising customer complaints

<keyword id="1042120" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="uber" source="Orion">Uber</keyword> on Thursday refuted a report that claimed the ride-hailing major planned to exit the Indian market and held discussions with potential buyers to sell its India business. Bloomberg reported that the US-based company explored selling the India business, but "suspended discussions after tech startup valuations cratered." In a statement shared with IANS, an Uber spokesperson said the company never explored exiting India -- not even for a minute -- and the report is "categorically false." "India is as important to Uber today as it was when we launched nine years ago. We are serving riders and drivers across more than 100 cities, hiring Indian talent aggressively, and planning for the next decade and beyond," the company spokesperson said. Uber competes with SoftBank-backed <keyword id="6354720" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ola" source="Orion">Ola</keyword> in the country. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in April that it will expand its product offerings and its team in India. "We continue to expand the product offerings for the Indian consumer. Whether it is autos, motos or high-capacity vehicles or rentals, India has always been a very big part of the Uber journey," he said during the Virtual i3 summit organised by Times Bridge. Uber aims to expand its engineering talent in India to more than 1,000 people from 700 at present, he had announced. Last month, <keyword id="2502101" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="uber-india" source="Orion">Uber India</keyword>'s Director of Central Operations, Nitish Bhushan, said that they are "always striving to make driving with Uber a viable and attractive option for drivers and the recent hike in fares will directly boost their earnings per trip". To remove frustration for riders and drivers alike, the company is also showing trip destinations to drivers before they decide to accept the ride. "Drivers at the Uber advisory council meeting told us they would like more flexibility around payments. We are now showing drivers the mode of payment (cash or online) before the trip starts," the company said. To make the cash or online decision irrelevant, the company has also introduced a daily pay process for drivers. With these changes, the company said that they are also reinforcing their service quality expectations with drivers, especially in areas like cancellation and ensuring AC rides. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/most-underprivileged-women-are-keen-to-start-businesses-but-lack-skills-and-financial-know-how/articleshow/92411578.cms">Most underprivileged women are keen to start businesses but lack skills and financial know-how</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/tata-consumer-sees-growth-on-the-back-of-starbucks-tea-and-salt/articleshow/92410036.cms">Tata Consumer sees growth on the back of Starbucks, tea and salt</a>

Uber dismisses report that said it's planning to sell off its India business

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Mhay-Ann Carriza De Felipe, 29, began driving part-time for <keyword id="1042120" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="uber" source="Orion">Uber</keyword> and Lyft in <keyword id="12003793" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="las-vegas" source="Orion">Las Vegas</keyword> in 2021.</li><li>She says she doesn't feel unsafe but does encounter drunk men who proposition her.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Mhay-Ann Carriza De Felipe, a 29-year-old Uber and Lyft driver in Las Vegas. Insider has verified her income and employment with documentation. The following has been edited for length and clarity.Last year, I began driving part-time for Uber and Lyft as a way to help pay off medical bills and bring in some extra cash to cover basic necessities like groceries to feed our family of four. Since then, I've driven about 20,000 miles, done more than 2,200 rides, and earned more than $50,000.Prior to the pandemic, I'd shop at designer outlets like Coach and Michael Kors and then resell the merchandise at a markup online, but when my sales started to suffer, I knew it was time to find a more lucrative alternative. That's when I turned to rideshare driving.<h2>I drove part-time at first, usually working 3 days a week for between 8 and 12 hours a day </h2><div type="image" title="Mhay-Ann Carriza De Felipe with her family" height="3024" width="4032" msid="91774004" hostid="261"></div>Due to COVID-19, my sons, now 5 and 9 years old, were in remote school. My husband, who worked for a <keyword id="11894924" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="transportation" source="Orion">transportation</keyword> company, was working from home, so it was easy for me to drive during school hours and on my husband's days off. Three months into doing rideshare, after earning as much as $500 in a day, I saw the potential and began driving full-time. For a mom like me, it's a great job because I'm able to set my own hours and work when it's best for my family's schedule. I can turn off the app whenever I want and spend time with my family without a boss or coworkers pressuring me to stay late or work more, and having that kind of convenience and flexibility is my favorite part of the job. <h2>These days, my least favorite part of my job is the increased gas prices that affect my earnings</h2><a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/?state=NV">According to AAA</a>, gas prices in Las Vegas are now more than $5 per gallon, which is higher than the national average. I have a 5-star rating, so based on that and my low cancelation rates, I've achieved Uber Platinum status — a level that unlocks a variety of benefits, including a complimentary annual Costco membership. I try to fill up my tank on discounted gas there as often as I can.We used to own a Honda Fit and a Chrysler van, and I would take turns driving them both. The bigger the vehicle, the higher the rate, so I could earn more driving the van through Uber XL. But in January we sold the van at my husband's recommendation. Just last month we went electric, replacing it with a Tesla Model Y to save on gas. <h2>People often ask me if as a woman I feel safe doing this kind of work, especially since I often drive at night </h2>This March marked one year that I've been rideshare driving full-time, and the truth is, I do feel safe — even driving up until 2 a.m. As far as vehicle safety, both cars are equipped with dual-facing dashcams. That means one camera faces inside the vehicle while the other faces the road.As for personal safety, my husband bought me pepper spray and an electric shock taser. I'm prepared to defend myself should the need arise, but luckily it hasn't. In addition to these safety devices, once I turn on the Uber app and begin driving, my location can be shared with family and friends through the "Follow My Ride" feature. They're then able to track my whereabouts at all times. My husband, who died in a recent motorcycle crash, always liked the fact that wherever I was out there driving, he could glance at his phone and know where I was and that I was safe. <h2>While I've never feared for my own safety, I've certainly had my share of awkward situations</h2>Driving late at night in Vegas pretty much guarantees sooner or later, you'll pick up a drunk guy. Some guys will flirt and ask for my number. Others ask if I want to hook up with them. The more aggressive types will offer me money to go up to their hotel room with them. I always decline and then I give them three choices: I can drop them off at their hotel, leave them stranded in the middle road, or drive them directly to the police station. That's when I hear them start to squirm in the back seat as they mull over their choices. They usually let out a nervous laugh and apologize before choosing the first option. After that, they remain quiet the rest of the ride. Right before they get out of the car, they typically apologize again and tip me in cash.<h2>One time, my passenger was a drunk rapper who kept insisting I find his song on Spotify </h2>He wanted me to blast it on repeat while he sang in the back seat at the top of his lungs. In between singing, he'd proposition me. I politely declined and gave him my standard three options. Like all the other guys before him, he chose to be dropped off at his hotel and then shut up. The next day I got a message that he left his wallet filled with cash in my car.I had the feeling it was just a ploy to see me again, so I took a video of me retrieving the wallet from the back seat. I opened it to reveal its empty contents with my mother-in-law alongside me as my witness. Then I drove to meet him and return his empty wallet. I remained inside my car and handed it over, telling him he'd probably spent or lost the cash in the bar that I'd picked him up from the night before. He apologized for his behavior and tipped me $20. I thanked him and warned him not to try that type of stuff with other women drivers because next time he might not be so lucky and they'd call 9-1-1 on him. Since my husband was killed in a crash while riding his motorcycle recently, I can no longer share my location with him when I get in the car and turn on my Uber app. I pray he's still looking out for me and protecting me from up above as I continue to drive and care for our two boys.Are you a current or former rideshare driver and have a story to tell? Email akalish@insider.com.

I'm a woman and drive for Uber and Lyft. I've made $50,000 in a year and never felt unsafe, despite a lot of drunk passengers.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Uber shares dropped as much as 8% in premarket trading after reporting first quarter results Wednesday.</li><li>The ride-hailing giant saw gross bookings climb 20% and revenue slightly beat expectations.</li></ul><a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/uber-stock?miRedirects=1">Uber's share price dropped as much as 8% in premarket trading</a> Wednesday after it reported a mixed bag of Q1 results.Its gross bookings of $37.7 billion were up 20% compared to the same period last year, but fell short of its target. Plus, its forecast for gross bookings in the second quarter was also shy of Wall Street's expectations.The ride-hailing app reported revenue of $10.13 billion, just about Wall Street expectations of revenues of $10.11 billion. Its earnings-per-share, however, missed forecasts, coming in at negative $0.32, compared to a forecast of $0.22.The firm reported an income from operations of $172 million, but the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ft.com/content/83e4bc2b-4a40-4c2d-b211-9ecb485bfb37">Financial Times</a> reported analysts had forecast this to be over $600 million. Uber cited "discrete legal and regulatory reserve changes and settlements."It's also facing a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-sued-300-million-by-london-black-cab-drivers-2024-5">$300 million lawsuit from more than 10,000 black-cab drivers</a> in London, which was filed last week.By contrast, rival ride-hailing company Lyft posted better-than-expected results a day earlier. In a press release, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said: "Our results this quarter once again demonstrate our ability to deliver consistent, profitable growth at scale.""More than 7 million people now choose to earn flexibly on Uber every month, with driver earnings of $16.6 billion continuing to grow faster than our topline," he added.While shares dropped as much as 8% in premarket trade on the initial results, at the time of publication, the company's stock rebounded a little and was set to open down around 6% to trade at $66.20, per Markets Insider data.

Uber shares drop sharply in premarket trade after it misses on earnings-per-share, but bookings jump by a fifth

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Uber lost some of its "most frequent customers" thanks to the rise of remote working, its CEO said.</li><li>Dara Khosrowshahi made the observation during the company's Q1 earnings call.</li></ul>Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi wants to see more workers going back to the office, and not just at his own company.Workers are still not using Uber as a "daily habit" for their commute as many did prior to the pandemic, which is hurting the ride-hailing giant's growth, the CEO said."With the pandemic, I think a lot of people who were kind of commuting to work, etc., stopped commuting," Khosrowshahi said on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2024/05/08/uber-technologies-uber-q1-2024-earnings-call-trans/">the company's earnings call</a> on Wednesday."We have lost some of our most frequent customers," he said, adding that "there is an audience who kind of stopped using us as frequently as they used to."Khosrowshahi's comments came as Uber reported <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-shares-drop-pre-market-after-missing-expectations-2024-5#:~:text=The%20ride%2Dhailing%20app%20reported,to%20a%20forecast%20of%20%240.22.">mixed earnings</a> for the year's first quarter.Total revenue was roughly in line with Wall Street's expectations, coming in at $10.13 billion.However, the company reported a <a target="_blank" href="https://investor.uber.com/news-events/news/press-release-details/2024/Uber-Announces-Results-for-First-Quarter-2024/default.aspx">surprising net quarterly loss</a> of $654 million.<a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/uber-stock">Shares of Uber dropped sharply</a> on Wednesday following the report, but recovered some losses in pre-market trading Thursday.The company attributed the loss to legal and regulatory changes and settlements and added that the loss includes "a $721 million net headwind from unrealized losses related to the reevaluation of its equity investments."Uber is currently facing a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-sued-300-million-by-london-black-cab-drivers-2024-5">multimillion-pound lawsuit</a> from more than 10,000 black cab drivers in London.Khosrowshahi told <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="color-link" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/08/uber-uber-q1-2024-earnings.html">CNBC</a> the loss had "nothing to do with the operating business."His line is supported by Uber's <a target="_blank" href="https://investor.uber.com/news-events/news/press-release-details/2024/Uber-Announces-Results-for-First-Quarter-2024/default.aspx">$1.4 billion EBITDA</a>, an 82% year-on-year increase.<div type="image" title="A passenger enters an Uber car in New York City, New York, U.S., December 6, 2019." height="2400" width="3606" msid="109982375" hostid="261" sizebytes="276022"></div>Looking ahead, Khosrowshahi said on the earnings call that Uber saw the "weekday commute use case" as a key area for growth as more people return to the office — or are <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/companies-making-workers-employees-return-to-office-rto-wfh-hybrid-2023-1">forced back under strict mandates</a>."Some folks may not like that, but we love it here at Uber, people getting back to work and getting back to the office," he said,The CEO said he was hopeful that commuters would continue to return."One interesting trend we're seeing is that people are getting back to work," <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FevLUgtCDk">he told CNBC in an interview.</a>Globally, gross bookings — the value of transactions on its app — were up 21% year on year, and the audience expanded by 15%, Khosrowshahi said."Demand for Uber remains strong," he added on the earnings call.However, despite Khosrowshahi's vision of a return to regular commuting, CEOs are gradually <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hybrid-work-here-to-stay-ceos-rto-remote-2024-4#:~:text=%22Hybrid%20is%20likely%20here%20to,up%20from%2034%25%20in%202023.">starting to accept</a> that hybrid work is set to stay.In a KPMG survey released in April, 34% of US CEOs said they expect workers whose roles were once tied to an office to be back in their cubicles five days a week in the next three years, down from 62% who held that view in 2023.About 98% of Americans want to work remotely at least some of the time, according to <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/remote-work-statistics/#sources_section">Forbes Advisor</a>.Khosrowshahi told employees that beginning in April 2022, Uber staffers in 35 of the company's locations were <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-mandatory-return-to-office-in-late-april-contrast-lyft-2022-3">required to return to the office at least half the time</a>.He has allowed some workers to be entirely remote if they receive clearance from managers.Uber did not immediately reply to a request for comment from Business Insider.

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