{"id":4514,"date":"2020-03-02T16:11:57","date_gmt":"2020-03-02T15:11:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/en.advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/?p=4514"},"modified":"2020-03-02T16:11:57","modified_gmt":"2020-03-02T15:11:57","slug":"ride-hailing-apps-create-69-more-emissions-than-trips-they-replace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/2020\/03\/02\/ride-hailing-apps-create-69-more-emissions-than-trips-they-replace\/","title":{"rendered":"Ride-Hailing Apps Create 69% More Emissions than Trips They Replace"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ride-Hailing Apps Create 69% More Emissions than Trips They Replace<\/strong><\/h3>\n

With ride-hailing services now providing more trips nationally than taxis, the growth of ride-hailing has directly contributed to increased local pollution and exacerbated traffic congestion in dense urban areas.<\/p>\n

Ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft have experienced exponential growth in a short period of time. The expansion of these services is changing transportation, but that rapid growth also comes with significant risks.<\/p>\n

A new report, \u201cRide-Hailing\u2019s Climate Risks: Steering a Growing Industry Toward a Clean Transportation Future,\u201d by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), finds that the rising use of ride-hailing services is increasing carbon emissions, with ride-hailing trips producing nearly 70% greater emissions compared to the trips they are replacing. This dramatic increase in emissions comes in part from \u201cdeadheading,\u201d the increased miles a driver travels waiting for a ride request or picking up a passenger. In addition, ride-hailing trips frequently replace lower-carbon transportation methods \u2014 such as public transit, walking, or biking \u2014 that consumers might have used otherwise.<\/p>\n

Even when compared to trips made in private vehicles, non-pooled ride-hailing trips on average produce almost 50%more emissions, UCS found. With ride-hailing services now providing more trips nationally than taxis, the growth of ride-hailing has directly contributed to increased local pollution and exacerbated traffic congestion in dense urban areas.<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite these troubling findings about their climate impacts, ride-hailing services still have the potential to be part of a cleaner, low-carbon transportation future,\u201d said Don Anair, deputy director of the UCS Clean Transportation Program and lead author of the report. \u201cThrough electrification of vehicles and increased use of pooled rides, we can reduce the climate risks of ride-hailing services.\u201d<\/p>\n

The UCS report found that a pooled ride-hailing trip results in emissions similar to a private vehicle trip. An electric ride-hailing trip can cut emissions by about 50% compared to the average private car trip, while an electric and pooled ride-hailing trip can reduce emissions by about 70% compared to the average private car trip.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe responsibility for change lies first and foremost with the ride-hailing companies themselves,\u201d said Jeremy Martin, senior scientist and director of fuel policy at UCS. \u201cRide-hailing companies should take steps to reduce emissions by supporting their drivers in adopting electric vehicles, increasing pooling of rides, and encouraging travel by cleaner modes such as transit, walking, and biking where feasible. Ride-hailing companies should work to make sure their services complement, rather than replace, these lower-carbon options.\u201d<\/p>\n

UCS experts recommend that companies\u00a0encourage the use of electric cars\u00a0by offering attractive electric vehicle-lease rates to drivers who lease vehicles for use on their platforms. They also suggest companies\u00a0work with charging infrastructure providers to increase access to convenient charging\u00a0for ride-hailing drivers.<\/p>\n

They can also\u00a0encourage shared ridership by discounting pooled trips\u00a0to make them more affordable.<\/p>\n

Lyft and Uber have taken some steps to begin to address the climate impacts of their services. For example, last fall Lyft announced a program in Denver to\u00a0deploy 200 electric vehicles\u00a0in ride-hailing service.<\/p>\n

Uber announced\u00a0per-ride driver incentives\u00a0of up to $20 per week in some cities through their electrification initiative.<\/p>\n

Both companies are\u00a0partnering with transit agencies\u00a0in various ways, including pilot projects to help people get to or from transit as well as beginning to incorporate transit information into their apps.<\/p>\n

Lyft has also unveiled a\u00a0carbon-offset initiative, though programs like this are not a substitute for reducing emissions and congestion.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe rapid growth of ride-hailing services has cities scrambling to keep up, and much work remains to implement effective policies addressing pollution and congestion,\u201d said Martin. \u201cPolicymakers need to ensure that ride-hailing companies take steps to reduce their environmental impact, and ensure that people have a range of clean, safe, accessible, and affordable transportation options. Some policies cities and states should consider include discounting fees on ride-hailing for pooled and electric rides, incentive programs for electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, setting pollution standards for companies, and increased investment in public transit.\u201d<\/p>\n

The report suggests that while ride-hailing companies and policymakers bear the biggest responsibility in limiting ride-hailing\u2019s negative impacts,\u00a0individuals can help in the following ways:<\/p>\n