Uber has been one of the fastest growing businesses over the past five years, with services now running in over 785 urban core areas worldwide [1]! Personally, I have never been a huge fan of Uber and rarely use them, however the company’s recent actions have begun to change my mind. With the ambition of becoming the leader in sustainable mobility, Uber have pledged to donate $10 million over three years to support environmentally friendly causes in the cities in which they operate [2].
Some of these causes include donating $1 million to support congestion pricing in NYC. Drivers must pay a fee to enter Manhattan’s central business district during certain busy hours of the day in hope of reducing congestion. These profits are then planned to be used to support and fix subway services, and all in all, will promote the use of public transport. I think this is a fantastic idea and is already used in places such as London, though I’m sure other major cities could follow suit!
$250,000 will also be donated to SharedStreets, a project that aims to create a set of standards for private companies to share data with cities [2]. This is beneficial to find out information such as how much curb space is being used for pick-ups and drop-offs and how best to utilise this space for purposes such as increased sharing of vehicles [3]. The large donation will also be used to expand an online tool that allows cities to map and measure travel times [4], as well as installing charging stations for dockless electric-powered bikes in Sacramento [2].
Uber is certainly giving the impression that they are more than an all-for-profit company; they appear to be encompassing a vision of reducing their environmental impact through innovative global actions. Let’s hope their intentions are actually followed through as they have the potential to make a real difference to city transport systems and our environmental well-being!
References
1 - Wikipedia (2018) Uber
2 - The Verge (Sept, 2018) Uber pledges $10 million to eco-friendly causes in cities
3 - The Verge (April, 2018) Coming soon to the Uber app: bikes, rental cars, and public transportation
4 - The Verge (Jan, 2017) Uber's new tool gives cities a mind-bogglingly detailed view of traffic patterns
Comments