Image: inDrive

A new chapter is being written for ride-hailing.

In the world’s wealthier markets, the sector is increasingly being shaped by autonomy with a wave of robotaxi announcements flashing off the back of cities across the US, Europe and Asia.

In many developing nations, however, platform-based ride-hailing is only just beginning to take hold, remaining entirely novel in some parts of the world. 

inDrive is the second most-downloaded ride-hailing app globally with its business built predominantly around these underserved markets. Its model centres on price negotiation which allows riders and drivers to agree on a fare before a trip, underpinned by a wider philosophy of giving both sides greater freedom and entrepreneurial control over their lives. 

Heading up this mission is Chief Ride-Hailing Officer Evgenia Matrosova. As ride-hailing takes on very different forms around the world, Zag Daily sat down with Matrosova to explore what she sees as the fundamentals of the industry – fairness, safety, economic opportunity and freedom of choice – and what she’s doing to ensure drivers remain in control not only of their work, but of their lives.

Source: Zag Daily

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Image: Coco

Nearly 18 months after autonomous delivery company Coco began testing services with Michigan-based chain Little Caesars, the companies announced a partnership integrating the delivery robots into the convenience-oriented pizza brand’s operations, marking the start of broader rollouts.

Coco announced the partnership August 19, expanding autonomous robot delivery to Little Caesars locations throughout Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, and, within the month, San Jose, California — the company’s latest service area. 

In a statement to Food On Demand, Trish Heusel, Little Caesars’ vice president of innovation, noted Coco’s experience, proven ability to scale, and integration with DoorDash and Uber Eats as key benefits leading to the partnership. 

Source: Food On Demand

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How Long Will Software-Defined Cars Last? The Auto Industry Doesn’t Know Yet

Americans are keeping their cars longer than ever before, with the average U.S. vehicle age rising to 12.8 years, according to Mobility Global. But some industry analysts and forecasters worry that highly complex software-defined vehicles will age more like smartphones.

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Utah County Leaders Hope UTA Rideshare Apps Will Help Alleviate Traffic Woes

Northwestern Utah County has long been plagued by headache-inducing traffic issues. But county leaders are hoping a pilot program that’s introduced a rideshare app to four cities in the area can start alleviating those pain points - with the push of a button.

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New Orleans Approves New Fee for Taxi and Rideshare Passengers

Hired drivers can now charge a dollar more for each trip in New Orleans. The City Council approved the fuel surcharge after taxi drivers told leaders that months of high gas prices are hurting their business.

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Majority of Saint John Taxis Targeted for Safety, Licensing Checks Found Not Fit for Transporting Public

Police and public safety officials recently targeted Saint John taxi operators to check their regulatory compliance — including whether they were considered safe to drive in. More than a dozen cars were not. According to a Saint John Police Force release, of 31 vehicles checked, 18 failed spot inspections and were "immediately placed out of service" for repairs.

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Ottawa Para Transpo to Run Late-Night Pilot Project on Weekends

Para Transpo is extending its hours until 2 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays starting Sept. 4 for one year. The service for riders who can't take other types of public transit because of a disability usually runs daily from 6 a.m. until around midnight.

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TTC on Track to Open Scarborough Busways Sept. 30

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has announced it is on track to open the Scarborough Busway on Sept. 30, more than six months ahead of the originally projected date. The agency says the project is set to bring faster, more reliable transit to Scarborough residents. The four-kilometer (2.5-mile) busway will operate between Kennedy and Ellesmere stations.

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Dutch Regulator Fines Uber $966 Million for Automating Driver Suspensions

The Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP) has decided to fine Uber €825 million ($966 million) under European data protection rules for deactivating driver accounts through automated systems without adequately informing them, according to an August 17 decision reviewed by Reuters. The penalty would be the ​second-largest ever issued under Europe's General Data Protection Regulation.

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London Taxi Drivers Warned over Hacked Social Media Accounts Spreading Malicious Links

London taxi drivers are being warned not to open unexpected links sent through X after multiple members of the trade reported losing control of their social media accounts.

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No More 15mph Cycling Speed Limits Planned in Cambridge, Council Confirms 

Cambridgeshire County Council has confirmed that it is not considering a 15mph cycling speed limit for any more routes across the UK city. Currently, one 15mph speed limit exists for cyclists in Cambridge which applies to the shared path that runs alongside the city’s ‘guided busway’.

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Tesla Recalls 3 Million Cars As Part of China-Wide Push to Stop Hidden Door Handles

Tesla is recalling just shy of 3 million vehicles in China as part of a nationwide effort to alert vehicle owners to hidden emergency door releases, which can trap occupants in the event of a crash or a fire.

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Brazil Expands Vehicle Financing Program for Taxi, App Drivers

Amid sluggish uptake of a credit line of up to R$30 billion to finance vehicle purchases by app-based drivers and taxi operators, the Brazilian government has again expanded the scope of its Move Brasil program. The maximum vehicle price eligible for financing under this program has been raised from R$150,000 to R$200,000, and additional hybrid models have been added to the list of eligible vehicles. The changes cover different combinations of power sources, including vehicles with electric motors and combustion engines running on ethanol, gasoline, or both.

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South Africa’s Rail Collapse Was the Taxi Industry's Gain

The number of South African workers who use rail to get to their jobs has decreased by 78% in 16 years, forcing growing reliance on a booming taxi industry.

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Image: Tesla

Tesla is preparing to launch its Cybercab robotaxi in Austin, Texas, as soon as this month. The rollout would put the company’s first vehicle without a steering wheel or pedals onto public roads for operations.

The launch is expected to begin with rides for Tesla employees before the vehicles are added to the company’s existing robotaxi service. Tesla has been testing production Cybercabs on public streets since June and has also been running employee rides on private roads and training local first responders in Austin.

The Cybercab is central to Tesla’s plans to build a larger autonomous ride-hailing business. Unlike the modified Model Y vehicles currently used by the company, the two-seat vehicle has been designed from the outset without conventional driver controls.

The timing puts the Cybercab under scrutiny because Tesla’s current autonomous ride-hailing operation remains small. The company reported 380,000 cumulative driverless miles across its Robotaxi hubs in its latest earnings update. Rival Waymo, which has operated a commercial driverless service since 2020, has recorded more than 220 million rider-only driverless miles by comparison.

Tesla’s existing service also relies on a mixture of supervised and unsupervised vehicles. Third-party tracking cited in previous Zag Daily coverage put the number of active unsupervised vehicles across Austin, Dallas and Houston at 32, while the wider robotaxi fleet had also contracted sharply.

Source: Zag Daily

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