RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Studies have already pointed out that App-based transport companies like Uber contribute to worsening traffic in cities.
Now, a new survey by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) released on Tuesday, February 25th, addresses another issue: the pollution generated by vehicles. App-based trips emit an average of 69 percent more harmful gases than other means of transport, such as buses or bicycles, and are considered 47 percent worse for the environment than private cars, according to scientists.
The increase in pollution occurs mainly due to deadheading, the name given to the times when the driver travels with no passengers in the car while waiting for a trip. In addition, App travel “doesn’t replace private car travel; instead, it’s increasing the total number of car trips,” the researchers say.
If transport Apps did not exist, “many passengers would take public transport, walk, cycle or give up the trip”. What about taxis? The study says most of the findings also apply to them – yet because taxis have been regulated by cities for decades, their negative effects are minimized by the limit on the number of cars and incentives for migration to hybrid vehicles.
And while the App vehicle fleets are usually newer than a private car and have more efficient engines, “the extra kilometers associated with deadheading result in higher emissions per trip”. As a result, based on the seven largest metropolitan areas in the United States, one App trip generates approximately 47 percent more pollution than a private car.
Shared trips and electric cars can reduce pollution
What’s the solution, then? One way out is to encourage the transition to electric cars and shared trip methods, such as Uber Together. Combined, these two measures could result in a 52 percent reduction in harmful gas emissions on average compared to a “replaced” trip – that which would be made by a private car, public transport or bicycle, for instance.
The survey mentions some promising avenues. In Chicago, for instance, a higher fare was approved for individual trips at rush hours, and a higher rate for out-of-town trips in areas less served by public transport. And in Denver, users may pay for bus or train fares through the Uber App.
The two largest App transport companies in the United States have commented. Uber says it will “continue to invest in products and advocate for policies that reduce car ownership, promote more shared travel, and support increased use of bikes, scooters, electric vehicles and public transport”.
Lyft says the study is making “misleading claims”. The company says it “encourages the use of shared trips, it was the first App transport company to include public transport information and last year it made one of the largest launches of electric vehicles in the country”.