Jobs of the Future: Ride-sharing continues growth

Northern Ontario-based ride-sharing company Uride hit a milestone recently — it surpassed one million safe rides.

Created to serve underserved communities (and cut down on impaired driving), Uride was born in Thunder Bay in 2017. Since then, it has expanded to 12 cities in Ontario and British Columbia with more expansion plans in the works, including a goal of launching in its first international city by the end of the 2022.

"We'd like to thank all of the incredible drivers who have stepped up over the years to help end impaired driving, as well as all of the passengers who have embraced our service and helped make Uride what it is today,” said Cody Ruberto, Uride founder and CEO. “We're also incredibly grateful to everyone involved in our day-to-day operations, and for the countless hours and effort they’ve put towards ending impaired driving."

You can download the Uride app here.

Uride is just one of several ride-sharing apps that have sprung up as part of the gig economy. The names Uber and Lyft are likely familiar to many people, even if they haven’t used the service before. 

Ride-sharing is a growth industry among gig workers. The value of the industry alone is growing by leaps and bounds. Once valued at a cool $1 billion just a few years ago, it is now worth more than $61 billion and it is projected to continue that huge growth, expecting to hit a $220-billion valuation by 2025.

Data shows that more than a quarter of the U.S. population uses ride-sharing apps at least once a month. Pew Research data found the share of Americans who have used ride-sharing grew from 15 per cent in 2015 to around 36 per cent in 2018, and it continues to grow. 

Uber alone has an estimated 3.8 million drivers worldwide and growing.

Jobs of the Future is made possible by our Community Leaders Program.