Uber and Lyft aren’t sustainable

Pricing, availability, and safety aren’t what they used to be

Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

When I moved to Los Angeles in late 2019, many were surprised to hear that I wasn’t planning to buy a car—at least not immediately. It’s been nearly two years and I still don’t have one, though the itch to do so has gotten stronger.

Pre-pandemic was the golden age of riding with Uber and Lyft. I could get across the sprawling city for $15, and less if I was just going a few miles. It never felt too painfully pricey because of the pooled ride-sharing options, which brought the cost down to $6 or $7. I daresay it felt like a deal quite often. And if I was in a rush, I could spend the extra few bucks to get there quickly.

Drivers were plentiful, and because of competition, the downward pressure on pricing was to every riders’ benefit.

Today, things are very different.

The quality of the experience has gotten worse while the cost has ballooned.

Uber and Lyft now feel, as businesses financially as well as operationally, much less sustainable—for a few key reasons:

1. Average pricing has increased. Now, to go 3 miles to my barber (each way), it costs between $12 and $20, depending on the time of the day—and on Uber & Lyft’s proprietary…