Other stuff: Pay raise for Uber drivers and garbage cities

Mar 10, 2023

This week’s Other Stuff brought to you by all the piles of garbage I passed in New York City last week.

Uber is cutting some employees as part of a ‘more rigorous approach’ to performance reviews. Uber customers at risk of fare rise after HMRC review. New TLC boss goes under cover as a cabbie. Democrats press Grubhub, DoorDash and Uber on their use of ‘junk fees’. Uber and Lyft Are More Likely to Fire Drivers of Color, Report Says. Ride-hail drivers rally for right to unionize in Boston. Uber ride-hail subsidiary Careem halts operations in Qatar. Barcelona relaxes ride-hail rules for Mobile World Congress. Russia says Yandex can buy Uber out of joint venture for half-price. Uber critiques Delhi’s plan to allow only e-bike taxis. InDrive raises $150 million for ride-hail tech. Motional opens Las Vegas robotaxi service to nighttime hours. Waymo hit by second round of layoffs. Robotaxi tech improves but can they make money? Former Toronto mayor John Tory spent $12,000 on Uber and Lyft. Uber redesign.

Getir to cut hundreds of jobs, following merger with Gorillas. Viral video of Deliveroo driver collapsing shows harsh reality for couriers. UK Rapid Grocery Market Booms as Brits Lean Toward At-Home Delivery. Delivery cyclists turning to food banks in order to survive. Chinese on-demand giant Meituan hiring Hong Kong riders to compete with Foodpanda, Deliveroo. India’s Zepto plans expansion into instant food delivery. Just Eat Takeaway swings to small 2022 core profit, sees better 2023. Just Eat hack could save you money every time you order a takeaway. Zomato replaces 10-minute delivery offering with home-style meals. Amazon Expands Same-Day Delivery, With Fees, While Battling Slow Growth. DPD acquires Absolutely to boost same-day delivery offering in London. Starbucks launches olive oil-infused coffees in Italy. A day in the life of a delivery driver in NYC working 10-hour shifts and covering 100+ miles.

Paris prepares to vote on future of e-scooters. 71% of Denverites who received e-bike subsidy report driving less. Lime criticized for offering free 10-minute rides to people who sign up to vote in Paris scooter referendum. Lyft suspends Nice Ride bike sharing in Minneapolis. Portland bike advocates react to 50% Biketown fee hike. Lime scooters roll back in Chicago. Spin rolls into Richmond. Bolt boosts Irish e-bike fleet. Lime sues Hertz for poaching engineers. E-bike maker Cowboy raises undisclosed amount of money. Bolt introduces ‘reckless rider’ score. Shared mobility provider BinBin acquires competitor GoSharing. More than 5,000 e-bike riders caught riding on Singapore footpaths in 2022. 14-year-old boy sentenced in death of woman hit by e-scooter on pavement. 11-year-old boy riding e-scooter seriously injured in crash with car. Scooter trial ends for Voi in Birmingham. Dog rides electric scooter. Vigilante sought to rid city of e-scooters by setting them on fire.

Biden taps Julie Su to lead Labor Department. How Lina Khan Became Antitrust Critics’ Favorite Target. Data rises up the EU antitrust agenda. Schumer hires Warren antitrust staffer as new chief counsel. Biden Budget Routes $1.2 Billion to Big Transit Projects in New York. Boston advances Mayor Wu’s rent control plan. Boston appoints first director of night life economy. London has become a better city—for the rich. New Ulez cameras vandalised amid backlash against zone expansion. Adams Rolls Back $24-an-Hour Minimum Pay Rate for Delivery Workers. New York raises pay for Uber drivers. What it takes to earn $86,000 a year as a subway conductor in New York City. New York City bans sale of e-bikes without UL-listed batteries, after e-bike batteries explode, set buildings on fire. Outdoor dining bill to put a price on New York City street space. Goats on the run in San Francisco. Tactical urbanism in Miami. Donald Trump wants to build a city.

Platforms and their presumptions of power. Wall Street set to lose out as China secures grip on IPO pipeline. Quality of life on the internet is coming at a higher price. Before Uber and Lyft, Houston had jitneys — and the Black jitney line was the first to go. How 1960s civil rights activists built a motor fleet out of their Atlanta headquarters. Is the union boom really happening? To Build a Healthier City, Begin at the Sidewalk. The lifestyle managers hosting mezcal classes and meditation hour at New York’s amenity-packed bubble buildings. Bar car under threat on Amtrak rides through New Hampshire. London’s skies will be filled with beautiful hot air balloons this May. New York City rats can carry Covid variants, new study finds.

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