Fighting Discrimination in a Shared-Use Transportation Network

In order to improve transportation options, cities will have to incorporate private companies into the larger transportation network. In a study prepared for the American Public Transportation Association in March 2016, one of the findings was that shared-use consumers are more likely to use public transit, own fewer cars, and spend less on transportation overall. The report recommends that public entities collaborate with private transportation providers to offer a more comprehensive transit network to the users. This is especially important because companies like Uber and Lyft can offer some unique services. For example, between the hours of midnight and 5:00 am, it is very costly to run public transit relative to the low ridership at that time and offering a private alternative could be beneficial to the users as well as the public transit agency. Another example is the partnership in Boston where the MBTA subsidizes Lyft and Uber rides for customers with disabilities.

Given the increased reliance on private transportation companies, it is essential to insure that they serve all residents equally and we need regulations to hold them to the same standard as government services. As a study from MIT, U of Washington, and Stanford has shown, there is cause for concern. Indeed, they found that drivers for Lyft and Uber routinely discriminated against African-American customers. If the passenger’s name sounded African-America, drivers took longer to accept the ride and were more likely to cancel a pick-up. As we incorporate these services into our transportation network, we must establish clear guidelines to insure we don’t create an unequal discriminatory network.

References:

1. Shared Mobility and the Transformation of Public Transit, American Public Transportation Association Website, March 2016, http://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/APTA-Shared-Mobility.pdf

2. MBTA to Subsidize Uber, Lyft Rides for Customers with Disabilities, The Boston Globe Website, September 16, 2016, https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/09/16/first-its-kind-partnership-mbta-subsidize-uber-and-lyft-rides-for-customers-with-disabilities/QDdHJgzg87JpwbOazyW14H/story.html

3. Uber’s Discrimination is Bad News for Public Transit, WIRED Website, November 3, 2016, https://www.wired.com/2016/11/ubers-discrimination-problem-bad-news-public-transit/