Expect to see plenty more travel-infused partnerships over the coming months, because everyone wants a bite of a recovery that could smash records this year.
As app-based ride-hailing services become widespread in personal use, it's no surprise that corporate travel use is also increasing — even if some employers aren't fully on board yet.
Did Uber's valuation just tick up a billion dollars or so? Google's patent for transportation-aware restaurant ads coupled with free taxi service turns online ads into a concierge service of sorts that will deepen ties between taxi services and restaurants and other businesses.
It's tough to say that Bloomberg's lasting legacy will be New York City's transportation transformation with so many changes taking place in the past 12 years. We can say with confidence that the improvements are still just small steps towards insuring the city keeps pace with well-designed sustainable urban initiatives abroad.
Plenty has been written about the e-hail companies' battles with regulators and new economy versus old. But their biggest challenge will be running what's basically a Ticketmaster for rides when the barrier for entry -- and costs, too -- are lower for existing players.
FTC has frowned upon restrictive taxicab regulations in Colorado and Alaska before and now it has shown its displeasure in high-profile DC market. This is a big moral win -- not an actual one, since FTC is in advisory capacity here for now -- for Uber and other such new companies.
UberX’s greatest competitors might not be peer-to-peer ridesharing startups; they’re the taxi e-hailing apps that are gaining legitimacy and providing users a cheaper, faster way to access a transit option they already know and trust.
The court’s decision marks the beginning of a long process before e-hail apps are permanent part of city transportation; however, Bloomberg is now only a uniform taxi fleet away from bringing his taxi vision to fruition in NYC.