Will your ride be cancelled? Fighting bias in rideshares

I think many of our listeners will agree, that while the timeline to safely do so remains uncertain, we are all looking forward to a day when we can once again spend time with friends on a night out, head to a movie theater or a favorite museum, or frankly, do anything outside the house.

When the time comes, people will once again rely on rideshare platforms like Uber or Lyft to get them where they need to go, much as they did prior to the coronavirus pandemic. What they may not know, is the role that bias based on race and sexual orientation could play in whether or not their ride will be canceled.

Unfortunately, according to new research in the INFORMS journal Management Science “When Transparency Fails: Bias and Financial Incentives in Ridesharing Platforms,” under-represented minorities have more than twice as likely to have their ride canceled compared to Caucasians.

Joining me is Jorge Mejia professor with Indiana University, who along with Chris Parker of American University, were the authors of this study. In this episode we will discuss their work and what can be done to address this disturbing bias.

Want to learn more? Check out the additional resoruces and links listed below for more information about what was discussed in this episode.

Jorge Mejia website

Chris Parker website

"When Transparency Fails: Bias and Financial Incentives in Ridesharing Platforms," Managment Science

 New Research Finds Racial Bias in Rideshare Platforms: Minority Riders are Twice as Likely to Have Rides Canceled than Caucasians