CEO DATELINE - Report: Mass transit and Uber, Lyft are best buds
CEO DATELINE - Report: Mass transit and Uber, Lyft are best buds
- March 17, 2016 |
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Walt Williams
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Taxicab and limousine drivers may hate ridesharing competitors like Uber and Lyft, but the American Public Transportation Association said Tuesday the companies are A-okay in its eyes.
A new study commissioned by the association found the rise of app-driven ridesharing services in major cities has been a "game changer" that has helped make public transportation a bigger part of how people get around. The researchers studied the travel habits of 4,500 people in seven cities and found the more people used Uber or Lyft, the more likely they were to use public transportation.
"The way people get around in communities is being transformed, and public transportation is at the heart of this formal shift," APTA CEO Michael Melaniphy said. "Together with companies like Lyft and Uber, we are integral to creating a dynamic multimodal lifestyle."
APTA's embrace of ridesharing services stands in contrast to groups like the National Limousine Association, which recently pointed to a deadly mass shooting in Michigan by a former Uber driver to criticize the company for failing to run detailed background checks on drivers.
The difference is where limousine drivers see ridesharing businesses as competition, public transportation officials see those same companies as enhancing the services they provide.
"Transit is the backbone of urban mobility, and Lyft's flexible, reliable service helps fill in the gaps," Emily Castor, director of transportation policy for Lyft, said in a joint statement with APTA. "These findings prove that Lyft and transit combined reduce the need for car ownership, which will lead to more livable, sustainable cities." http://bit.ly/1pombAz
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