Latest Sharing Economy Headlines
All the headlines from our Sharing Economy Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Portland Cyclist Finds Insurance Issues Complicated in ‘Gig Economy’
Oct 19 2015 // Lucas Root says he doesn’t remember seeing the door that opened up in front of his bike, knocking him to the pavement and breaking out three teeth. But when he learned the driver was working for Uber, the app-based...
California Commissioner OKs Metlife Ridesharing Insurance for Lyft Drivers
Oct 19 2015 // Lyft drivers have a new ridesharing insurance option covering all three ridesharing periods. Those changes came to light earlier this month with the introduction of a new product, approved by Insurance Commissioner Dave...
Unlike Uber, On-Demand Office Service Cleans Up with Employees
Oct 16 2015 // It’s scorching on the streets of Midtown Manhattan as Afonso Oliveira strides around the lunch-break crowds, unbent beneath his 45-pound, $350 industrial backpack. He is carrying everything that might be needed to...
California Commissioner OKs Metlife Ridesharing Insurance for Lyft Drivers
Oct 12 2015 // Lyft drivers have a new ridesharing insurance option covering all three ridesharing periods and offering liability coverage with the option to add additional coverages. Those changes came to light on Monday with the...
GOP Candidate Rubio Criticizes Gov’t Regulation of On-Demand Economy
Oct 12 2015 // Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio vowed to cap the number of regulations government can impose on businesses, particularly “on-demand” startups like Uber and Airbnb that he considers models for a...
Lyft to Open Customer Experience Operations in Nashville
Oct 7 2015 // A San Francisco-based rideshare service is investing more than $5 million to locate its new operations in Nashville and create 380 jobs in Davidson County. Gov. Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development...
Taxi Owners’ Credit Union, Hurt by Uber, Is Seized by Regulator
Oct 5 2015 // The New York City-based Montauk Credit Union, a large provider of loans to taxi medallion owners, was seized on Sept. 18 by New York State’s top financial regulator. The New York State Department of Financial...
London to Curb Uber with Driver Tests, Stricter Insurance Requirements
Sep 30 2015 // Uber Technologies Inc. faces curbs on its expansion in the U.K. after London Mayor Boris Johnson’s transport regulator proposed that drivers of private-hire minicabs should face English-language and navigational...
Uber, Lyft Drivers Already Racking up Citations at Las Vegas Airport
Sep 23 2015 // Drivers with Uber and Lyft are already racking up citations after a week of doing business in Las Vegas. McCarran International Airport spokesman Chris Jones confirmed authorities cited 87 drivers as of last week for not...
Uber Sues St. Louis Taxi Commission Over Ride-Sharing Ban
Sep 22 2015 // An Uber Technologies Inc. company accused the St. Louis Metropolitan Taxicab Commission in a lawsuit of functioning as a cartel with cab companies to ban its ride-sharing service in what it says is the largest U.S. city...
California Judge Slaps Down Uber Bid to Force Arbitration on Driver
Sep 21 2015 // A former Uber Technologies Inc. driver defeated the company’s bid to force her into arbitration, a second victory after California’s labor commissioner said she should have been considered an employee. A San...
Mass. Gov. Baker Hopes Disagreements Won’t Scuttle Uber Regs
Sep 21 2015 // Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker says he hopes disagreements over how to regulate ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft won’t keep lawmakers from passing a bill soon. A legislative committee reviewed several...
Taxi Owners’ Credit Union, Hurt by Uber, Seized by New York Regulator
Sep 21 2015 // Montauk Credit Union, a large provider of loans to taxi medallion owners, was seized on Friday by New York State’s top financial regulator. The New York State Department of Financial Services said the seizure was...
Labor Department’s 6-Part Test for Classifying Employees, Independent Contractors
Sep 21 2015 // The U.S. Department of Labor has issued a blog post with new guidance on classifying workers as employees or independent contractors under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FSLA), an issue that has attracted renewed...
Will Uber Employee Status Ruling in California Impact Its Business Model?
Sep 21 2015 // A California Labor Commission ruling in June that an Uber driver is an employee and not a contractor opens the door to more scrutiny over the rideshare giant’s business model, but that was just the proverbial tip of...
Florida Judge Orders State to Clarify Uber Insurance Requirements
Sep 18 2015 // Florida taxi companies may finally get the answer they are looking for from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FDHSMV) regarding minimum insurance requirements for transportation network companies...
Uber vs. Taxi Clash Heats Up at Massachusetts Statehouse
Sep 18 2015 // The tension between traditional taxis drivers and those who drive for services like Uber and Lyft was on display Tuesday as Massachusetts lawmakers grappled with proposals to regulate the popular but largely unfettered...
‘Ridesharing’ a Climate Change Solution around the Corner
Sep 17 2015 // The solution to reducing carbon emissions may be just around the corner. Car sharing can reduce gas consumption and could ultimately help in the battle to curb climate change, according to a Natural Resources Defense...
New York AG Urges Tech Firms to Act Responsibly as Business Models Evolve
Sep 16 2015 // New York State’s top lawyer told technology-firm executives he will “bring the full force” of his office against companies that mistreat their workers or cheat consumers. Speaking to entrepreneurs and...
Ridesharing Firms Uber, Lyft Get Nevada Permits
Sep 16 2015 // Uber and Lyft were granted state permits Monday in a major milestone for ride-hailing in Nevada, although neither company has said exactly when its service will be available. The Nevada Transportation Authority voted to...
