Latest news with #Chariot
National Observer
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- National Observer
Uber's new shuttles look suspiciously familiar to anyone who's taken a bus
This story was originally published by Grist and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration Every few years, a Silicon Valley gig-economy company announces a 'disruptive' innovation that looks a whole lot like a bus. Uber rolled out Smart Routes a decade ago, followed a short time later by the Lyft Shuttle of its biggest competitor. Even Elon Musk gave it a try in 2018 with the 'urban loop system' that never quite materialized beyond the Vegas Strip. And does anyone remember Chariot? Now it's Uber's turn again. The ride-hailing company recently announced Route Share, in which shuttles will travel dozens of fixed routes, with fixed stops, picking up passengers and dropping them off at fixed times. Amid the inevitable jokes about Silicon Valley once again discovering buses are serious questions about what this will mean for struggling transit systems, air quality, and congestion. Uber promised the program, which rolled out in seven cities at the end of May, will bring 'more affordable, more predictable' transportation during peak commuting hours. 'Many of our users, they live in generally the same area, they work in generally the same area, and they commute at the same time,' Sachin Kansal, the company's chief product officer, said during the company's May 14 announcement. 'The concept of Route Share is not new,' he admitted — though he never used the word 'bus.' Instead, pictures of horse-drawn buggies, rickshaws, and pedicabs appeared onscreen. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi was a bit more forthcoming when he told The Verge the whole thing is 'to some extent inspired by the bus.' The goal, he said, 'is just to reduce prices to the consumer and then help with congestion and the environment.' But Kevin Shen, who studies this sort of thing at the Union of Concerned Scientists, questions whether Uber's 'next-gen bus' will do much for commuters or the climate. 'Everybody will say, 'Silicon Valley's reinventing the bus again,'' Shen said. 'But it's more like they're reinventing a worse bus.' Uber's new shuttles look suspiciously familiar to anyone who's taken a bus. #Uber #RouteShare Five years ago, the Union of Concerned Scientists released a report that found ride-share services emit 69 percent more planet-warming carbon dioxide and other pollutants than the trips they displace — largely because as many as 40 percent of the miles traveled by Uber and Lyft drivers are driven without a passenger, something called 'deadheading.' That climate disadvantage decreases with pooled services like UberX Share — but it's still not much greener than owning and driving a vehicle, the report noted, unless the car is electric. Beyond the iffy climate benefit lie broader concerns about what this means for the transit systems in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Boston, and Baltimore — and the people who rely on them. 'Transit is a public service, so a transit agency's goal is to serve all of its customers, whether they're rich or poor, whether it's the maximum profit-inducing route or not,' Shen said. The entities that do all of this come with accountability mechanisms — boards, public meetings, vocal riders — to ensure they do what they're supposed to. 'Barely any of that is in place for Uber.' This, he said, is a pivot toward a public-transit model without public accountability. Compounding the threat, Philadelphia and Dallas have struggling transit systems at risk of defunding. The situation is so dire in Philly that it may cut service by nearly 45 percent on July 1 amid a chronic financial crisis. (That, as one Reddit user pointed out, would be good news for Uber.) Meanwhile, the federal government is cutting support for public services, including transit systems — many of which still haven't fully recovered from COVID-era budget crunches. Though ridership nationwide is up to 85 percent of pre-pandemic levels, Bloomberg News recently estimated that transit systems across the country face a $6 billion budget shortfall. So it's easy to see why companies like Uber see a business opportunity in public transit. Khosrowshahi insists Uber is 'in competition with personal car ownership,' not public transportation. 'Public transport is a teammate,' he told The Verge. But a study released last year by the University of California, Davis found that in three California cities, over half of all ride-hailing trips didn't replace personal cars, they replaced more sustainable modes of getting around, like walking, public transportation, and bicycling. And then there's the fact cities like New York grapple with chronic congestion and don't need more vehicles cluttering crowded streets. During Uber's big announcement, Kansal showed a video of one possible Route Share ride in the Big Apple. It covered about 3 miles from Midtown to Lower Manhattan, which would take about 30 minutes and cost $13. But here's the thing: The addresses are served by three different subway lines. It is possible to commute between those two points, avoid congestion, and arrive sooner, for $2.90. So, yes, Uber Route Share is cheaper than Uber's standard car service (which has gotten 7.2 percent pricier in the past year) — but Route Share is far from the most efficient or economical way to get around in the biggest markets it's launching in. 'If anything,' Shen said, 'it's reducing transit efficiency by gumming up those same routes with even more vehicles.'
Metro
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Ronnie reels as he learns of Debbie's ‘new man' in Coronation Street
After four years together, Coronation Street's Debbie Webster (Sue Devaney) and Ronnie Bailey (Vinta Morgan) seemed like one of the more solid couples on the street. They have had their ups and downs in the past but their partnership has generally been based on real affection, mutual respect and shared interests. Until very recently it seemed like they would always be together, and they were all set to get married. All of that changed when Debbie consulted a doctor after she'd been experiencing worrying symptoms. She had further tests and was devastated to learn that she has young-onset dementia. In the wake of this discovery she ended things with Ronnie, not wanting to be a burden on him as her disease progressed. Ronnie is currently unaware of the real reason for her dumping him, as she's determined to keep her diagnosis to herself. Currently only her brother Carl (Jonathan Howard) knows what's really going on, after he accidentally saw a letter from the hospital in her bag. Debbie has sworn him to secrecy. In her heart, though, Debbie knows she still loves Ronnie and a couple of times she's been about to either reconcile with him or at least explain. On one of those occasions she came into the bistro to look for him, determined to fix things, only to see him chatting to Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson) – not the first time Leanne has seemingly set her sights on Ronnie. Although this encounter was perfectly innocent, Debbie was crushed, she walked out without Ronnie even seeing her. More Trending Since then she's found out that there was nothing romantic going on between Ronnie and Leanne. But when Ronnie introduces her to a woman called Fiona, who he says is an 'old flame' of his, Debbie can't help but be jealous. Want to be the first to hear shocking EastEnders spoilers? Who's leaving Coronation Street? The latest gossip from Emmerdale? Join 10,000 soaps fans on Metro's WhatsApp Soaps community and get access to spoiler galleries, must-watch videos, and exclusive interviews. Simply click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! Don't forget to turn on notifications so you can see when we've just dropped the latest spoilers! So when her phone rings Debbie retaliates and pretends the call is from her new boyfriend. Poor Ronnie is gutted, thinking that Debbie has moved on and there's now absolutely no chance of them getting back together. To make things even worse, Carl tells Ronnie that Debbie wants nothing more to do with him. In fact, he's barred from the Chariot Square Hotel. Ronnie's furious with Carl and the two go face-to-face, apparently ready for a fight. View More » Sadly it looks like there's no way back for Ronnie and Debbie right now. MORE: All 29 Coronation Street pictures for next week as major star returns MORE: Coronation Street's Ronnie thrown by unexpected death news as it changes everything MORE: Coronation Street's Debbie Webster faces fresh agony as she receives another blow
Metro
17-05-2025
- Business
- Metro
'Uber has innovated so hard… they invented a bus'
Uber is launching a new service in the US called Route Share and the internet isn't impressed. Several social media posters have mocked the offering, saying the company have basically 'invented the bus'. Unveiling Route Share in a blog post, Uber said the service would allow riders to share a car over a predetermined route with with designated pickup points. Speaking at a conference, Uber's head of product Sachin Kansal: 'We ask the riders to walk a few blocks to a predetermined point at a predetermined time to participate in a predetermined route which they will share with a couple of other riders. We call that Route Share.' It will cost up to 50% less than UberX the firm said on its blog, with savings made if you buy subscriptions or prepaid passes. The user goes into their Uber app and puts in where they will be going from and their desired destination and the app will show you nearby routes with pickups available every 20 minutes. The driver will then wait for up to two minutes before the cost rises. Similar to UberX Share, you could be riding with up to two others. One TikTok user, 'Sharkveyno', shared a video of Kansal explaining the concept, before telling viewers: 'Uber made buses. Our brightest, most innovative minds have recreated buses. 'They'll really do anything than have affordable transportation in the United States.' Uber aren't actually the first to test this type of idea. In 2017 Lyft, another US ride hailing service, piloted Shuttle, which worked in a similar fashion. It was never rolled out fully, however. There was also Ford's Chariot, which ran in nine US cities as well as London and offered commuter shuttle services. After launching in 2014, it shut five years later in 2019. Citymapper's Smartbus, which was later known as SmartRide, then simply Ride, didn't fare much better. It launched in 2018 with a fleet of eight-seater buses that picked up and dropped off passengers at fixed points in central London and took specific predetermined routes. It lasted little more than a year. More Trending Uber do actually run a more regular type of bus service in the US and India, which is called Uber Shuttle. It uses normal size buses, which take a predetermined route at set times and users book their seat through the app. Route Share will be available in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Boston, and Baltimore, with more cities to come, according to Uber. It's not clear if the firm plans to bring the service to the UK. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: 'Armed and dangerous' prisoners escape through hole behind toilet while guard was on break MORE: The UK's 'much needed' only floating train line reopens after eight months MORE: The £14,000,000,000 plan to fix the north's 'broken' rail network
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chariot regains 75% interest in two Moroccan offshore licences
Chariot, the Africa-focused transitional energy group, has regained operatorship and a 75% working interest in the Lixus Offshore and Rissana Offshore licences in Morocco. This development comes after Energean completed the transfer of its subsidiary, which held a 45% and 37.5% interest in the respective licences. The Anchois gas field, situated within the Lixus Offshore licence, has seen three wells drilled to date. The completion of the Anchois-3 well in September 2024 did not yield the additional volumes anticipated for the expansion of the Anchois development. However, the appraisal revealed multiple high-quality gas-bearing reservoirs. With the operatorship now restored, Chariot is set to advance the licence work programmes in collaboration with ONHYM, the national hydrocarbons and mines office of Morocco, which retains a 25% stake. The partnership will re-evaluate and adjust the Anchois development plan in line with the resources discovered. Chariot CEO Adonis Pouroulis said: 'We are pleased to have completed the transfer of these licences and regained operatorship as we see material value within our diversified Moroccan position, both offshore and onshore. The Anchois gas discovery still offers the potential for a rescaled development and our next steps are to scope this based on the core resources found in the three wells underpinned by our previous work on engineering design, environmental and regulatory approvals, project financing and gas sales. 'Gas market fundamentals in Morocco are robust with strong gas demand and excellent fiscal terms and we will look to work with all stakeholders, including our partner ONHYM and the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, to advance these important domestic projects.' Chariot's commitment extends to exploring the further potential of the Lixus and Rissana licence areas, with updates to be provided as progress is made. Additionally, Energean has terminated its divestment agreement with Carlyle International Energy Partners. The cancellation, announced in March, was due to unmet regulatory approvals in Italy and Egypt. The initial deal, which included Energean's assets in Egypt, Italy and Croatia, was valued at up to $945m (£729.33m). According to Energean, the necessary regulatory approvals outlined in the sale and purchase agreement, signed on 19 June 2024, were not obtained or waived, leading to the termination of the agreement. "Chariot regains 75% interest in two Moroccan offshore licences" was originally created and published by Offshore Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Ya Biladi
14-05-2025
- Business
- Ya Biladi
Chariot regains operatorship of Moroccan offshore licences from Energean
Chariot Limited, an Africa-focused energy group, announced on Wednesday, May 14, that it has regained control of its Moroccan offshore interests. Energean plc, a London-based oil and gas company, transferred its 45% stake in the Lixus Offshore and 37.5% stake in the Rissana Offshore licences to Chariot. As a result, Chariot now holds a 75% working interest in both licences, with Morocco's Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM) retaining 25%. This transfer follows a 2023 agreement in which Chariot sold the same stakes in both licences to Energean. At that time, Chariot retained a 30% interest in Lixus and 37.5% in Rissana, while ONHYM maintained a 25% stake in both. Now that operatorship has been restored, Chariot is committed to working with ONHYM to refine the development plan and explore further potential in the Lixus and Rissana areas, reads a press release. «We are pleased to have completed the transfer and regained operatorship, as we see significant value in our diversified Moroccan position, both offshore and onshore», said CEO Adonis Pouroulis. It is worth noting that Chariot works on high-value gas development in Morocco, alongside renewable power and green hydrogen projects across Africa.
