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No, it’s not just you – Uber and Lyft prices are ridiculously high right now
As life begins to open back up, demand for ridesharing is up, but there aren’t enough drivers.
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Uber and Lyft saw a drastic drop in drivers and riders at the start of the pandemic, and now as more people get vaccinated and businesses and shops are opening back up, people are starting to move about again.
But ridesharing app prices are still extremely high. According to a Wall Street Journal report and data from Rakuten, it was 50% more to get a ride in July 2021 than it was in January 2020. That date is important, as it was before any COVID-19 restrictions were put in place.
While there was a drop in drivers due to the pandemic, WSJ reports that both Lyft and Uber are seeing a huge uptick in drivers returning to the platform, but even so, drivers can’t keep up with the demand of riders.
Even with more drivers returning, many former Uber and Lyft drivers have transitioned to food delivery, as it is a bit safer than riding around with another person in their car.
It will be interesting to see how these rideshare companies adapt in the months ahead. While many things are opening back up, new variants in COVID-19 continue to spread across parts of the US. Will this push drivers away again or will driver and ride levels continue to level out?
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