Other stuff: Uber drivers strike, Bird completes merger with Bird, inflation threatens the baguette š„
Welcome to a new Other Stuff format
In taking stock of the past year of Oversharing (ok, nine months, but you know what I mean), it came to my attention that the āOther Stuffā section accidentally fell by the wayside as I moved away from the original format and branched out into other styles of posts. I always liked having a weekly links section to round up any news in the sharing economy etc. that I didnāt get around to, but I havenāt found a natural place to put that with the new full-time publishing format. As a reader, itās also difficult to know when you open an email whether it will have a links section at the bottom or just be a post on one topic, which isnāt ideal for anyone.
This is all to say that it is a new year so Iām trying a new thing: Other Stuff as its own weekly digest. Short, sweet, with all the links from the week, but published as a quick standalone post for paid Oversharing subscribers. Iāve obviously sent the first one today and it feels like a Friday item to me, but Iām interested to hear what day of the week a links digest would be most helpful/relevant to you, and open to amending the schedule accordingly. If you have a preference, do fill out the poll (you can only create five response options, hence the W-Th and Sat-Sun slots):
Also, since Iām trying out Other Stuff as its own post, Iām breaking the links out into categories for the first time, instead of publishing them all in a single big paragraph. I personally like the cadence of the big paragraph but know some readers have requested more spacing between the links so good news, today is your day, you get several smaller paragraphs!
Ride-hail and AV
Uber drivers strike in New York after company blocks raises and fare hikes. Taxi drivers strike over Uber commissions in Bristol. Gig workers fear recession could bring low wages and competition. Boston ride-hail and delivery drivers push to unionize. Lyft stock tanked in 2022. Uber motorbike service hits snag in SĆ£o Paulo. Losses widen at Uber-owned Autocab. Uber London profits doubled in 2021. D.C.-area ride-hail startup aims to challenge Uber and Lyft. Berlin-based Vay gets permit to test remotely-driven electric cars on public roads without a safety driver.
Micromobility
Bird Global completes merger, financing deal with Bird Canada. Taiwan abolishes 1994 law requiring migrant workers to get employer permission before buying e-bikes or scooters. Londonās Boris Bikes had another record-setting year. Lyft-owned Citi Bike hikes fares 10%, blames supply chain problems. How Denver used e-bike vouchers to get thousands out of their cars. Colorado governor proposes new incentives for electric cars, bikes, and lawnmowers. Helbiz launches e-bike fleet in Santa Monica. Dott says its average trip was 2.2 km and 11 minutes in 2022. Several hurt in fire sparked by e-bikes in Harlem. As Japan takes to rental e-scooters, some see changes to cities ahead. Shared micromobility operators try again in Australia. āI'm in Voi's top 3 per cent of e-scooter riders and this is what I've learned.ā The biggest barrier to biking is the fear of cars.
Delivery
Winter is the toughest time of year for delivery workers. Instacart cuts internal valuation by 20%, to $10 billion. Uber agrees to pay severance to 4,400 delivery workers it fired in Spain in 2021. Grubhub to pay $3.5 million in D.C. to settle deceptive fees allegations. Asda, Ocado test autonomous grocery trucks in London. āZombieā Amazon Grocery Stores Pile Up as Openings Grind to a Halt. Instacart selling half-price memberships to SNAP recipients. How to spot a āghostā menu on food-delivery apps. Just Eat Takeaway partners with UK grocer Co-op on ultra-fast grocery delivery. DoorDash launches package pickup service. European instant delivery startup Flink targets profitability by end of 2023. Deliveroo exits Australia, will pay creditors $19 million. Illegal weed delivery startup Dispenseroo sees meteoric growth in the UK.
Policy & regulation
Lina Khanās FTC proposes banning noncompete clauses. New federal law plans retirement matches for contingent workersā¦ starting in 2027. IRS gives gig workers one more year to prep for major tax change. New York City could lose 10,000 Airbnb listings to new short-term rental regulations. Mexico City weighs regulating Airbnb. Sedona, Arizona, effort to lure local landlords away from Airbnb not going well so far. Facebook parent Meta fined ā¬390 million by EU regulators for data privacy violations. Fed official compares inflationary pressure to surge pricing. Belgian court finds former Uber driver was independent contractor. EU lawmakers agree to tougher draft gig labour rules. Gig workers say they are getting crushed by the algorithms. Fifth Ave redesign puts pedestrians first. Hong Kong government claims roads too congested for numberplate recognition to work.
Deals
Automotus gets $9 million for smart curb management software. Amsterdam-based Cargoroo raises ā¬10 million for shared e-cargo bike fleets. Paris-based Vianova gets ā¬6 million for mobility data platform. Prague-based Mews gets $185 million for hotel management platform. Hedge funds that gave startups billions canāt figure out how much theyāre worth.
Other other stuff
Postmates co-founder Bastian Lehmann lists Hawaii home (plus car) for $11.25 million. White House antitrust advisor Tim Wu to depart. Grubhub co-founder warns against the gig model. Why the Dream of Turning Empty Offices Into Housing Is a Bust. Against gentrifying the rest stop. Inflation threatens the baguette. Cult classic film āOffice Spaceā inspired software engineerās theft scheme, prosecutors say. I was a pro soccer player. I was tricked into going to Qatar to work construction. Can Africaās first chief heat officer make her city livable?