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Airbnb CEO interview: No room for anonymity in sharing economy
DigitalIn the wake of Airbnb moving to a Verified ID system to enhance trust between hosts and prospective guests, NBCNews.com’s Ben Popken spoke with Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky about trust and security, and what the new feature means for the evolution of Airbnb. Skift reprints the interview with permission. NBC NEWS: How does anonymity [...]
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The nation’s largest bike share is finally starting in New York City
DestinationsNew York City, with its constant hum of subways, buses, cabs and ferries, has long had one glaring exception to its many transportation options: bicycles for the masses. But bike sharing is finally coming to the Big Apple, which could help the city overcome its reputation as a commuter obstacle course of speeding cabbies, horn-honking [...]
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New York City’s bike share program weight limits cause some residents concern
DestinationsNew York City’s upcoming public bike share program, Citibike, has already irked parking space seekers, food cart vendors and locals who resent seeing a Citibank sponsor logo on nearly every block. Now, heavier New Yorkers can be added to the list. According to the program’s user contract, riders “must not exceed the maximum weight limit” [...]
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New York City pulls sting on two SideCar drivers, impounds one car
TransportRidesharing apps like SideCar and Lyft match drivers who have an extra spot in the car with passengers who need a lift. It’s like hitchhiking, except that the passenger has the option of tipping via the app. The service is growing in popularity, but local regulators are cracking down as it becomes available in more [...]
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San Francisco’s efforts to make Airbnb, FlightCar and the sharing economy legit
DestinationsSan Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee has long been outspoken in his support for new laws that would foster a thriving environment for the emerging sharing economy. How does he describe the laws that restrict the growth and legality of travel startups in the the Valley? “Outdated.” It turns out that other state stakeholders are open to the idea [...]
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Uber to launch ride-share service where regulators won’t hassle them
Transport… Over the last year, new startups have sought to compete with Uber by offering transportation services without traditional commercial insurance or licensing. Uber refrained from participating in this technology sector — known as ridesharing — due to regulatory risk that ridesharing drivers may be subject to fines or criminal misdemeanors for participating in non-licensed [...]
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San Francisco Airport tells six ride-sharing services to stay away
TransportSan Francisco International Airport hit six popular ride sharing services with cease-and-desist orders, barring them from picking up and dropping off passengers at the main airport for which many of these very same companies are based. Such services don’t have to jump through the same set of hoops the state requires of a traditional cab [...]
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Uber must contend with old-school labor complaints — is there an app for that?
TransportA large group of Uber drivers gathered this afternoon to protest outside the car-hailing-app maker’s San Francisco headquarters. Chanting “no respect, no work,” the drivers told AllThingsD they are protesting the way Uber treats them. “They’re running a sweatshop with an app. They don’t have the balls to come down and talk to us. We’ve [...]
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Judge blocks e-hail taxi app pilot program in New York City
TransportA pilot program that would allow people in New York City to hail yellow cabs using a smartphone app was blocked by a judge on Thursday, handing a victory to private car companies that have said the program threatens their business. Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Carol Huff granted a request from the livery companies to [...]
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SideCar won’t let a small matter like Austin laws stop its SXSW business
TransportSideCar and Lyft, two competing apps that allow citizens to offer rides in exchange for donations, will both be out in force at South By Southwest Interactive in Austin this year — even though local regulators have said that ride sharing apps are illegal in Austin. But while SideCar will be taking payments and arranging [...]
