A ridesharing company (also known as a transportation network company, ride-hailing service, app-taxi, e-taxi, or a mobility service provider) is a company that, via websites and mobile apps, matches passengers with drivers of vehicles for hire that, unlike taxicabs, cannot legally be hailed from the street. Ride hailing services are apps that connect passengers and local drivers using their personal vehicles. In most cases they are a comfortable method for door-to-door transport. Usually they are cheaper than using licensed taxicabs. In some countries the ride hailing services are regulated in the same way as regular taxicabs. Examples of ride hailing services include Uber and Lyft.

The legality of ridesharing companies by jurisdiction varies; in some areas they have been banned and are considered to be illegal taxicab operations. Regulations can include requirements for driver background checks, fares, caps on the number of drivers in an area, insurance, licensing, and minimum wage. If you speak the local language, a conversation with the driver can in many instances provide you with inside information of the area which might not be written in guidebooks.

Overview
Service is generally accessed via mobile app. Users set up a personal profile with a name, phone number, other information, and payment preference, which could be a credit card, e-commerce payment system or, in some cases, cash. After the service is complete, the customer may be given the option to provide a gratuity to the driver, which is also billed to the customer’s payment method.

The status of drivers as independent contractors is an unresolved issue. Drivers provide a vehicle, which could be owned, rented, or leased. Drivers must meet requirements for age, health, car age and type, have a driver’s license and a smartphone or tablet, and may be required to pass a background check. In many cities, vehicles must pass annual safety inspections and/or must have an emblem posted in the passenger window. Some cities also require drivers to have a business license. There may be accommodations for hearing-impaired drivers. Drivers may be notified before accepting a trip if it will be longer than 45 minutes. After each transaction, drivers and customers may rate each other and users with low ratings may be deactivated.

Share trip
The TNC platforms are sometimes referred to as “carpooling”, but the terms “ridesourcing” and “ride to call” have been developed to describe the transportation services associated with TNCs. Some initial reports used the term “ridesourcing” to clarify that drivers do not share a destination with their passengers and that the driver’s primary motivation was income. The term “ridesourcing” refers to the outsourcing of rides. In early 2015, the Associated Press Stylebook officially adopted the term “car ride” to describe the services offered by Lyft and Uber to reflect the availability of private vehicles and taxi services on the platforms.

“Call by car” It does not refer to the driver’s motivation or the characteristics of the trip; some walks may not necessarily be income motivated. Uber allows drivers to match destinations to passengers in limited cases. However, using “car call” interchangeably with “carpooling” can be misleading. Companies like Uber and Lyft prohibit drivers from picking up “carriers” as all of their riders must register on their website or mobile app software to comply with their terms and conditions and local laws. Otherwise, these companies would be classified as a ‘taxi service’. Uber allows drivers to match destinations to passengers in limited cases. However, using “car call” interchangeably with “carpooling” can be misleading.

Companies like Uber and Lyft prohibit drivers from picking up “carriers” as all of their riders must register on their website or mobile app software to comply with their terms and conditions and local laws. Otherwise, these companies would be classified as a ‘taxi service’. Uber allows drivers to match destinations to passengers in limited cases. However, using “car call” interchangeably with “carpool” can be misleading. Companies like Uber and Lyft prohibit drivers from picking up “carriers” as all of their riders must register on their website or mobile app software to comply with their terms and conditions and local laws. Otherwise, these companies would be classified as a ‘taxi service’.

Drive sharing
Unit sharing is an arrangement where multiple drivers share a vehicle to transport carpool passengers for a fee. Vehicles used in unit sharing are not owned by either driver, but are rented from a third-party company (shared services) that provides services or is associated with a TNC such as Uber and Lyft. The shared use of the unit responds to the high demand of qualified drivers who are interested in working for TNC platforms but who do not wish to acquire or use their own vehicle to do so. Rideshare companies aim to help the rideshare industry by increasing the accessibility of ridesharing,

For example, TNCs are required by law to have a certain number of wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs) on the road at any given time. This can be a difficult requirement for TNCs to meet because TNCs do not provide vehicles and most drivers do not own a WAV, causing a shortage. Third-party drive exchange companies are stepping in to help fill that gap by providing TNC-approved WAV vehicles that drivers are incentivized to use through TNCs, thus helping TNCs meet requirements. of WAV.

History
Ridematching programs began migrating to the Internet in the late 1990s. A 2006 report by the Federal Transit Administration of the United States Department of Transportation stated that “next day” responsiveness has been achieved but that “dynamic” ridematching has not yet been successfully implemented.

In 2009, Uber was founded as Ubercab by Garrett Camp, a computer programmer and the co-founder of StumbleUpon, and Travis Kalanick, who sold his Red Swoosh startup for $19 million in 2007. In 2011, Sidecar launched; its founder Sunil Paul patented the idea of hailing a ride via mobile app in 2002.

Lyft was launched in the summer of 2012 by computer programmers Logan Green and John Zimmer as a service of Zimride, an intercity carpooling company they founded in 2007. Careem began operations in July 2012. In 2013, California became the first state to regulate such companies; they are regulated as public utilities by the California Public Utilities Commission.

Tips for riding a ride hailing service
If you are taking the ride hailing service by yourself, it is recommended to always sit in the backseat of the vehicle.
Be aware of traffic conditions. During rush hour and special events, ride hailing services might be a worse choice than urban rail.
It is worth considering that when the ride is done both the drivers and the passengers use the app to rate each other. unlike the traditional taxicab services, where the drivers have no imminent interest in being nice to their passengers, most of the ride hailing service drivers tend to be as nice as they can to their customers so that at the end of the rides the customers will give them a good rating. On the other hand, the rating that the driver will give you will be included in the overall rating that the ride hailing service app assigns to you. A very low overall rating assigned to you by the app might very well influence the decision of other ride hailing service drivers to refuse giving you a ride, or in extreme cases might lead to the ride hailing service company banning you from using their services.

Alternatives
If you are staying in a place with good mass transit using it might often work out to be not only cheaper but faster as well.
Many city-centers are entirely walkable and if you aren’t mobility impaired a two or three kilometer stroll is entirely doable. Also walking is a great way to get to know a place and you can simply enter any interesting shops, restaurants or museum you might pass without the driver having to look for (often scarce) inner-city parking space.
In more and more places, cycling is the best way to go short to medium distances and several cities around the world have implemented bike-sharing programs that are a great alternative for visitors as well as locals. Bikes are available for rent in many more places.
You may ask whether your hotel offers pick up and drop off service to and from the airport. This is sometimes free to encourage you to stay at their hotel and more often than not cheaper than a taxi.
If you are staying in a place for a longer time or plan to go on a road-trip anyway consider renting a car, with or without a driver.

Impact
Service in poorer areas and downward pressure on fares
Vehicle for hire service to poorer and less populated areas has increased, while fares have faced downward pressure due to competition.

Possible reduction in drunk driving
Studies are inconclusive on whether drunk driving rates have declined, with some studies showing that it depends on the city.

Criticism

Classification of drivers as independent contractors
Unless otherwise required by law, drivers are generally independent contractors and not employees. This designation affects taxation, work hours, and overtime benefits. Lawsuits have been filed by drivers alleging that they are entitled to the rights and remedies of being considered “employees” under employment law. However, drivers do receive certain flexibilities that are not common among employees.

In O’Connor v. Uber Technologies, a lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California on August 16, 2013, Uber drivers pleaded that according to the California Labor Code they should be classified as employees and receive reimbursement of business expenses such as gas and vehicle maintenance costs. In March 2019, Uber agreed to pay $20 million to settle the case.

On October 28, 2016, in the case of Aslam v Uber BV, the Central London Employment tribunal ruled that Uber drivers are “workers”, not self-employed, and are entitled to the minimum wage under the National Minimum Wage Act 1998, paid holiday, and other entitlements. Two Uber drivers had brought the test case to the employment tribunal with the assistance of the GMB Union, on behalf of a group of drivers in London. Uber appealed to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom; a hearing took place on 21 July 2020.

In March 2018, the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research of Switzerland ruled that drivers should be classified as employees.

In April 2018, the Supreme Court of California ruled in Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court that Dynamex, a delivery company, misclassified its delivery drivers as independent contractors rather than employees. This ultimately led to California passing Assembly Bill 5 (AB5) on September 11, 2019, with a test to determine if a tasker must be classified as an employee and receive minimum wage protections and unemployment benefits. A referendum to provide exemptions is scheduled for a vote in November 2020. In December 2019, Uber and Postmates sued California, claiming AB5 is unconstitutional.

In November 2019, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development determined that drivers should be classified as employees and fined Uber $650 million for overdue unemployment and disability insurance taxes.

Compliance with minimum wage laws
In some jurisdictions, drivers are guaranteed a minimum wage, such as in New York City, where drivers must earn $26.51/hour before expenses or $17.22/hour after expenses. Analyses have shown that absent such laws, many drivers earn less than the stated minimum wage. A May 2018 report by the Economic Policy Institute found the average hourly wage for drivers to be $9.21. Reports of poor wages have been published in Profil, Trend, and The Guardian. A 2017 report claimed that only 4% of all Uber drivers were still working as such one year after starting, primarily due to low pay.

However, a 2019 study found that “drivers earn more than twice the surplus they would in less-flexible arrangements.”

Dynamic pricing and price fixing allegations
Due to dynamic pricing models, prices for the same route may vary based on the supply and demand for rides at the time the ride is requested. When rides are in high demand in a certain area and there are not enough drivers in such area, fares increase to get more drivers to that area. In some cases, this resulted in extreme surcharges during emergencies such as Hurricane Sandy, the 2014 Sydney hostage crisis, and the 2017 London Bridge attack.

In the United States, drivers do not have any control over the fares they charge; lawsuits allege that this is an illegal restraint on trade in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890.

Safety concerns
It is unclear if rideshare vehicles are less or more safe than taxicabs. Major cities in the United States don’t have much data on taxi-related incidents. However, in London, taxi drivers were responsible for 5 times the number of incidents of sexual assault as compared to Uber drivers. Crimes have been committed by rideshare drivers as well as by individuals posing as rideshare drivers who lure unsuspecting passengers to their vehicles by placing an emblem on their car or by claiming to be a passenger’s expected driver. The latter led to the Murder of Samantha Josephson and the introduction of Sami’s Law. Lawsuits claim that rideshare companies did not take necessary measures to prevent sexual assault.

Rideshare companies have been fined by government agencies for violations in their background check processes.

In November 2019, Transport for London did not renew Uber’s license to operate due in part to the ability of people to fake identities and use other drivers’ accounts, circumventing the background check process.

Increased traffic congestion, carbon emissions, and reduced usage of public transport
Studies have shown that traffic congestion has increased in New York City and San Francisco, where extensive public transport networks are in place. Many people who use these services would otherwise be using public transport. Taxicabs were noted to have lower rider waiting time and vehicle empty driving time, and thus contribute less to congestion and pollution in downtown areas. However, another report noted that these companies serve as complements to public transit.

In 2020, the Union of Concerned Scientists found that due to dead mileage, “ride-hailing trips produce 47 percent more carbon emissions than a similar trip taken in your own private car.”

Insufficient wheelchair accessible vans
In some areas, vehicle for hire companies are required by law to have a certain amount of wheelchair accessible vans (WAVs) in use. However, most drivers do not own a WAV, making it hard to comply with the laws.

Driver refusals to transport service animals
While companies have strict requirements to transport service animals, drivers have been criticized for refusal to transport service animals, which, in the United States, is in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In one case, this resulted in a lawsuit, which was referred to arbitration.

Use of phones while driving
To accept a fare, drivers must tap their phone screen, usually within 15 seconds after receiving a notification, which is illegal in some jurisdictions since it could result in distracted driving.

Decline in value of taxi medallions
Values of taxi medallions, transferable permits or licenses authorizing the holder to pick up passengers for hire, have declined in value significantly. A couple of credit unions that lent money secured by medallions suffered from bank failure.