The state of California wants Uber and Lyft to treat its drivers as full employees, which would effectively shut down the companies’ services in the state. While a state judge ruled against the companies, the order has been delayed pending appeals. If they are forced to cease service, Ford School professor Robert Hampshire, whose research focuses on transportation, is quoted in an article in Wired that the move would exacerbate transportation problems for low-income areas.
The article refers to data released by Uber that suggests riders in lower-income areas are most likely to be using the ride-hail service today as they did a year ago.
“I am concerned with the dwindling travel options during Covid, especially for underserved communities,” Hampshire says. “First, it was the reduced public transit service. Now it is the possible departure of Uber and Lyft. The lives of people that depend on these services, as opposed to personal vehicles, is getting more and more difficult.”
You can read the article here.
