News (10.16.20): Taxi Medallion Owners Call for Debt Relief from Mayor, Uber Looking at Strategic Options for Uber Elevate, Minority Women Create New Rideshare Service HERide
Select news headlines for Friday, October 16th 2020
Taxi medallion owners call for debt relief from de Blasio (PIX 11)
PIX11 News learned more than 50 drivers have died from COVID-19.
Many medallion owners still face large debt obligations after the value of their medallions plummeted. In a hearing Friday, drivers shared personal stories.
There are an estimated 6,000 medallion owners who are drivers (i.e. non-fleet).
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Scoop: Uber on the hunt for strategic alternatives for Uber Elevate (Axios)
Uber’s Elevate division is focused on aerial ridesharing services, such helicopters and electric VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft.
Axios reports that Uber is currently seeking strategic alternatives for its Elevate business, including strategic partnerships or a partial sale.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is currently focused on delivering Uber’s first quarterly profit and this move follows similar decisions/rumours around other segments, including Uber Freight and Uber’s self driving unit (aka ATG).
Uber Elevate operated a helicopter service in NYC, but suspended operations due to the pandemic.
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THESE BLACK WOMEN CREATED A SAFE RIDE APP AIMED TOWARD WOMEN AND THE LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY (Black Enterprise)
Kiersten Harris and Jillian Anderson are the founders of HERide, a rideshare app designed for women based in Georgia.
The motivation behind the service was to create both a safer and more relaxing experience for female riders.
HERide also works to combat sex trafficking with additional features to increase security including doing thorough background checks of all drivers before they can be approved to join the platform with a cap on the number that can join.
“Everything is based on our own experience…We all know people who have been stalked, bothered, or even almost kidnapped during a ride or while driving.” - Kiersten Harris, Co-Founder HERide
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