According to a recent study with The National Bureau of Economic Research, Uber and Lyft drivers have been accused of being discriminatory towards women and African Americans. Conducted by four black and four white researchers from MIT, Stanford University and University of Washington, the study states that they tested this experiment in major cities such as Boston and Seattle. In the study, they found out that the cancellation rate for passengers with African American sounding names was more frequent than passengers with white sounding names.
On top of this, the study also stated that women were being taken on longer trips than men. “Other female riders reported ’chatty’ drivers who drove extremely long routes, on some occasions, even driving through the same intersection multiple times,” the study stated. “As a result, the additional travel that female riders are exposed to appears to be a combination of profiteering and flirting to a captive audience.”
In the study, the researchers wrote that they have noticed that Lyft and Uber face very similiar problems. “By removing the names from bookings may alleviate the immediate problem but could introduce other pathways for unequal treatment of passengers,” the study stated. Since the study has come out, Lyft and Uber have had strong comments about the situation in general. In a statement, the two companies have said that their services have been extremely beneficial to all communities.
“We are extremely proud of the positive impact Lyft has on communities of color. Because of Lyft, people living in underserved areas – which taxis have historically neglected – are now able to access convenient, affordable rides,” said director of policy communications Adrian Durbin. “And we provide this service while maintaining an inclusive and welcoming community, and do not tolerate any form of discrimination.”
What does this mean for the future of Lyft and Uber in major cities, collegiettes? We hope that these two services will take this study into consideration. In the mean time, the two companies are encouraging people to keep using both apps when needed.