Is Uber a solution to traffic congestion or a problem

By Professor Deepa Mani, Saharsh Agarwal and Rahul Telang Feb 17, 2020

Commuters may not see ride-hailing services as alternatives to cars or to public transport.

In a recent paper, we argue that the net effect of ride-hailing services on traffic congestion hinges on precisely the question of whether commuters see them as alternatives to cars or to public transport. With the coming of ride-hailing services, does the average commuter shift away from low occupancy car trips? Or does she substitute Uber for trips for which she would otherwise take a bus or local rail? The news is not good for Uber. Our findings offer some of the clearest evidence yet that ride-hailing may exacerbate, not ameliorate, congestion issues.