Uber’s lifting the veil – just a little – to provide data on urban transportation performance. Uber’s new Movement tool provides valuable new source of data about travel times in urban environments. We’ve gotten an early look at Movement, and think its something that you’ll want to investigate, if you’re interested in urban transportation.
Uber likes to bill itself as a technology company, rather than a transportation company: technically, it’s the independent driver-owners of vehicles that provide the transportation service; Uber uses an array of information technology to arrange, monitor, finance, and evaluate the transaction. In the process, Uber generates a huge amount of data about the trips that people take and the level and speed of traffic in cities. Access to this ride data has been hotly debated for a number of reasons. Customers, rightly, are interested in protecting their privacy. Ride-hailing companies naturally are seeking to keep this valuable market information from their competitors.
San Francisco’s Uber-Nuisance Probe Gets Go-Ahead From Court
“Uber Technologies Inc. was ordered to turn over to the city of San Francisco data about how many of its drivers are responsible for illegal parking, traffic congestion and safety hazards.
“A California appeals court rejected Uber’s argument that the information was properly given to a state regulatory agency, the California Public Utilities Commission, and shouldn’t be turned over to San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera. Friday’s order affirms a lower-court ruling in San Francisco’s favor.
“The city wants the information for an investigation based in part on a police department study showing that car services like Uber’s account for about 65% of violations for driving in and blocking transit and bicycle lanes, failing to stop for pedestrians and illegal U-turns.
“San Francisco’s probe also seeks to determine if Uber is underpaying its drivers in violation of the city’s
minimum wage laws…