Tada CEO Kay Woo (TADA)

For over a decade, ride-hailing has been led globally by industry heavyweights Uber, Lyft and Grab dominating the market by scale. With the pressure to finally turn profitable came steep commissions, which eventually placed the burden on both drivers and passengers.

Kay Woo, founder of blockchain-based ride-hailing startup Tada, says he believes that model is fundamentally broken, as drivers are being squeezed and users are paying more than they should.

“Here, Uber and Lyft are charging about 35 percent commission, or sometimes like 45 percent commission, and on top of that about 15 to 20 percent is tax, so if I paid $100 from Manhattan to (LaGuardia Airport in New York), drivers normally get about $40 or $45,” Woo said in a video interview with The Korea Herald, speaking from New York last week.

“So this is one of the reasons why I decided to provide our service in New York City.”

Since the startup launched its ride-hailing service on March 3, the Tada CEO and founder has been going to the LaGuardia Airport parking lot, where hundreds of ride-hailing drivers sit idle in a designated waiting area, eating meals and killing time, sometimes for two or three hours before receiving their next call.

“The system is completely broken but it’s actually very good for me to go there, talk to the drivers and explain about Tada and then everybody is open to join and they start downloading the app and submitting documentation,” he said.

According to Woo, about 300 new drivers a day on average have been signing up for Tada since last month, as the company presents a much more appealing option for drivers: no commissions.

Source: Korea Herald

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Image: PTI

In a significant step towards improving urban mobility, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday performed the groundbreaking ceremony for India’s first pod taxi project in Mumbai. The Automated Rapid Transit System will connect Kurla with the Bandra Kurla Complex, aiming to strengthen last-mile connectivity for daily commuters travelling to the city’s key business hub, reported news agency PTI.

Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar were present at the event, along with senior officials.

The project is being executed by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). The full corridor will span 8.85 kilometres and will be developed in phases to ensure smooth implementation, reported news agency PTI.

The first phase will cover a 3.36-kilometre stretch between Bandra East and Kurla. The route will connect important locations such as LBS Marg, Kalanagar, and Bandra Kurla Complex, while also linking suburban railway stations at Bandra and Kurla, improving access for commuters across different parts of the city, reported PTI.

The system will use driverless, technology-enabled pods that run on battery power along a dedicated elevated track. Each pod will accommodate up to six passengers and operate at a maximum speed of 40 kilometres per hour.

Source: Mumbai News

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Waymo Ride Quietly Arrives in a New Key U.S. City

Imagine opening an app, booking a ride, and a vehicle with no driver shows up to take you to a long-awaited errand. That’s no longer a concept. It’s a reality in Nashville.

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Portland Proposes Ride-Hailing Wage Increase, Sparking Debate

The city of Portland is considering a proposal that would cap the portion of a ride-hailing fare that Uber and Lyft can take from drivers at 20%, up from the current variable rate that can exceed 40%. The companies warn this could dramatically increase costs and lead them to leave Portland, while the city says the move is needed to ensure drivers earn a living wage. Business groups, sports teams, and arts organizations have rallied against the proposal, arguing it could hurt attendance and tourism.

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Mobility for All: How Uber Supports Los Angeles’s Vision of Universal Basic Mobility

Thanks to LA Metro’s Mobility Wallet pilot program, basic mobility is now a reality for thousands of Los Angeles residents. Launched in May 2023 as part of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation’s Universal Basic Mobility initiatives, Mobility Wallet offers a stipend to low-income residents for a variety of transportation needs, including Uber rides. 

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Toronto’s Transit Crisis Is a Class Crisis

Toronto households spent more than CA$440 million on ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft in 2023 — just over half of what they spent on public transit. Among households earning $200,000 or more, spending on ride-hailing has surpassed spending on transit: $146 million to $118 million. That finding captures something larger than a shift in transportation preferences.

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Company Envisions Autonomous Ferry Connecting Greater Victoria Communities

Martin Stewart envisions people biking or walking to a neighbourhood terminal, walking aboard an on-demand, 12-passenger ferry to get to another landing site. It’s a modern rendition of a very old idea, Stewart notes, with First Nations traditionally travelling the south coast waterways as we do highways now.

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Vancouver Announces New Parking App, Touts ‘Flexibility’

The City of Vancouver is rolling out a new way to pay for parking. On Tuesday, it announced that it will be using the HotSpot app in addition to PayByPhone. The City said this is to offer users “more payment options and to ensure continuous service if one app becomes temporarily unavailable.” In a release, they said this new app offers “drivers more flexibility to pay for street parking.”

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Karsan’s Autonomous e-ATAK Tested and Approved on High-Traffic Routes in Paris

Karsan, the world’s technology-focused mobility brand in next-generation public transportation, has successfully completed a six-month comprehensive project with the RATP Group, one of the leading public transportation operators in Paris, France. As part of the project, the vehicle completed approximately 3,000 kilometers of autonomous driving under real-world urban conditions—including open traffic and the presence of pedestrians—with an average of five hours of daily operation.

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Ukraine Will Create a Unified System of GPS-Monitoring of Transport

According to Deputy Minister Serhiy Derkach, today bus tracking works in a fragmented manner. Individual cities and carriers use their own systems, but due to the lack of unified standards, the state does not see the real picture on the market.

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No Autonomous Vehicles Currently Meet TfL Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Standards, Says TfL Commissioner

No autonomous vehicles are currently capable of meeting Transport for London’s (TfL) private hire licensing requirements, leaving the prospect of fully driverless passenger services in the capital some way off, senior officials confirmed at a London Assembly Transport Committee session.

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BYD Korea Provides Electric Vehicle Safety Training for Incheon Firefighters

BYD Korea announced on April 5 that it had conducted specialized training to enhance electric vehicle accident response capabilities for firefighters in Incheon. The program included a total of four BYD electric passenger vehicles—'Atto 3,' 'Seal,' 'Sea Lion 7,' and 'Dolphin'—as well as the electric truck 'T4K.' Both theoretical and practical training were provided to cover a wide range of vehicle types and accident scenarios. 

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Singapore to Build First 3D-Printed Concrete Pedestrian Bridge by 2028

The bridge will be 10 meters long and 5 meters wide, designed for both pedestrians and cyclists. The pilot project is part of Singapore's efforts to adopt 3D concrete printing technology to boost construction productivity amid labor shortages.

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‘Can Barely Feed My Family’: Aussies Pushed to the Wall by Fuel Crisis

Workers have revealed how they have been pushed to the brink by the Iranian fuel crisis - with some admitting they can barely afford to feed their families due to the rising price of diesel.

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Image: Eric Richardson

Kia is charging into the future of urban transport with its battery-electric PV5 van. The PV5-based WAV New York Taxi and Rideshare concept made its live debut at the 2026 New York Auto Show, signaling the South Korean automaker's push to lead this growing segment.

Last November, the PV5 was announced as the winner of the 2026 International Van of the Year (IVOTY). In its home country, it'll be sold as both a passenger and cargo van (a potential future Rivian EDV rival?) but it remains unknown whether it'll arrive stateside. The cargo version would be highly attractive to small businesses. We remain hopeful. 

Kia hasn't officially confirmed anything but the WAV New York Taxi concept's very existence is a promising sign. The automaker developed the concept as part of a collaboration with BraunAbility, the leading Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) conversion company in North America.

Per Kia: 

"The PV5 WAV New York Taxi and Rideshare concept is designed to meet two key pillars of future mobility: sustainability and improved ADA-compliant accessibility for wheelchair users."

It's important to note that the PV5, from the get-go, was designed for real-world EV conversions. Its dedicated electric platform simplifies modifications, allowing partners like BraunAbility to deliver high-quality, cost-effective wheelchair-accessible taxis and rideshare vehicles. The van's low step-in height and integrated tiedowns make boarding easier for all passengers, including those using wheelchairs, while ensuring consistent securement. 

"Kia's collaboration with BraunAbility benefits those involved, expanding the existing product portfolios of both companies in the U.S. market, while aiming to offer greater quality and choice to vehicle operators and improved mobility to WAV users," said Sangdae Kim, executive vice president and head of the PBV Division at Kia.

Kia and BraunAbility are now expanding real-world testing in New York, gathering input from fleet operators, disability advocates, and government agencies to refine the vehicle for mass deployment.

Source: Clean Trucking

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