One of the biggest manifestations of the “sharing economy” is ride-sharing. This ride-sharing model has already disrupted the transport industry and moving forward with remarkable speed.
In Bangladesh, we have observed many interesting events with this ride-sharing model. In the beginning, people didn't even believe that the ride-sharing model is viable for us. They have proved wrong big time. Right now, 7 ride-sharing companies are in operation & even the government has developed regulations especially for these companies.
In Bangladesh, we have observed many interesting events with this ride-sharing model. In the beginning, people didn't even believe that the ride-sharing model is viable for us. They have proved wrong big time. Right now, 7 ride-sharing companies are in operation & even the government has developed regulations especially for these companies.
According to IDLC, 2 lakh people took a trip in November 2017, the number is much higher now without any doubt. It is obvious that ride-sharing drastically changed the way, we city dwellers commute every day.
Now, with all these facts, did you ever think about the impacts of these ride-sharing services in our life? Are all the impacts are good? Are all bad? Let's dig in to find out more.
Positive impacts
- Economic independence: Pathao & Uber has changed the way of life of a lot of people. Earning 15K – 18K per month is now possible for anyone, with proper driving skills. It was unimaginable a few years back. Many people have left their previous job and get behind the wheel or ride a bike for their livelihood.
Some people also drive their car to earn some extra cash. I have also found some university students who earn their "pocket money" by driving a car or riding a bike. Unarguably, they are well educated and well behaved. - Fast & easier commute: From the commuters point of view, everyday commuting now far easier than before. All we need now a smartphone with internet connectivity to get a comfortable ride. No bargaining, no arguing, the ride is at your doorstep, which is just fantastic.
Interestingly, Obhai has done some extra-ordinary jobs with the three-wheeler. If you book a three-wheeler ride using Obhai, a well trained, the well-behaved driver will arrive with a good condition vehicle. Some of these three-wheelers have sound system also! - Safety: Some ride-sharing apps now support live sharing of your trip with your friends & family, which gives extra peace of mind to a commuter.
Moreover, all the riders are registered with their national ID card & updated driving license, so fraudulent activity is not common if you use any of these services.
Negative impacts
- Increased traffic congestion: When we book a ride from our place, the rider needs to reach your place from a distance. For a single ride, this might seem insignificant, but when thousands of people use the service simultaneously, this insignificant “thing” could impact increased traffic congestion. And this grows with the growing use of these services.
Ridesharing companies usually say, they help to decrease traffic congestion, but in a highly dense city like Dhaka, this logic is not as strong as it seems. - Increased CO2 emission: Increased traffic congestion means increased CO2 emission, this is simple. What we generally know as ride-sharing is a ride-hailing & the carbon footprint of every commuter is much higher in ride-hailing service.
Ride-sharing services have positive & negative social & economic impacts on society. We can learn from other countries & implement that in our regulations so we can minimize the negative impacts on our society.
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