Multi-Passenger Trips on the Rise, Major City Congestion Issue Remains


Multi-passenger rides represent a small but growing proportion of rideshare trips, according to a recent survey, a trend that could have a positive impact on congestion and other major urban issues.

Almost a third of Uber drivers reported that multi-passenger rides represented less than 10% of their ride volume. Another 30% reported multi-passenger trips represented between 10% and 25% of their total trips.

Multi-passenger rides

Of those drivers who detected a trend in their multi-passenger trip volume, 79% reported their proportion of multi-passenger trips was going up, while just 21% reported their multi-passenger trip volume was going down.

Multi-passenger rides proportion

“Multi-passenger trip volume represents an important metric city planner should track to evaluate rideshare impact on congestion and the environment,” said Andy Pillsbury, Vice President at SherpaShare. “The number of passengers per vehicle is also a critical factor in determining insurance rates.”

Lyft drivers reported slightly lower multi-passenger ride rates than their Uber counterparts. Specifically, 39% percent of Lyft drivers reported they had multiple passengers on fewer than 10% of their trips. The comparable figure for Uber drivers was 32%.

Multi-passenger rides Lyft proportion

A recent study by transportation consultant Bruce Schaller found Uber and Lyft add 2.8 new miles driven in the nation’s largest cities for every one mile saved by passengers not using their own car. The study found that rideshare drivers spend substantial amounts of time driving between passenger pickups—extra miles that contribute to overall congestion.

The survey was conducted August 31 among SherpaShare’s monthly research panel of over 1,300 rideshare drivers.

For more info please contact business@sherpashare.com

multi-passenger rides, Lyft, Uber

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