It might be a while before we see these kinds of street scenes again in downtown Austin — at least without the masks. Image: Page
Last week, we asked our readers to weigh in on their experiences with rideshare services like Uber and Lyft during the pandemic, to see how things were going after nearly eight months of safety precautions for both riders and drivers. We’ve seen usage patterns drop during this period for downtown dwellers who used to take advantage of these services multiple times a week — now, those same folks are using rideshare services less than once a month, or not at all.
You can chalk that up to many people working from home, socializing virtually, and no longer going to restaurants and bars. It’s not exactly rocket science, but it’s still pretty interesting to hear from frequent users how things have changed around town, and we’ve included our favorite responses to each question below:
How often did you use rideshare services before the pandemic, and how often do you use them now?
“Before the pandemic, at least 6 times a week. Since the pandemic we have taken 2 rides in total, but will probably be more active with ridesharing now the weather is turning cooler.”
“Two or three times a month before, zero now. No idea how well cars are being maintained.”
“I used them for things like going to the airport or going to hang out with friends at a location with little to no parking, but I haven’t used them since the pandemic began.”
“I would say my partner and I used to use rideshare at least twice a week between going out or getting to work in inclement weather. Since the pandemic began, I’ve only used Uber once.”
“Twice a week before, zero now.”
If you have used these services during the pandemic, was your experience positive or negative? Have you noticed anything different?
“Positive. Much cleaner and better customer service.”
Since virus-related changes have impacted rideshare services for many months now, have you noticed a change to your rideshare experiences even over the course of the pandemic? For instance, safety precautions being taken more seriously at the beginning than they are now, etc.
“In March everyone was trying to figure things out, by early summer 100% of safety procedures were being implemented.”
“I think rideshares have become cleaner.”
“No difference — drivers and riders all wearing masks, hasn’t changed since the beginning.”
“Everyone seemed to be taking the precautions more seriously at the beginning. Drivers, and riders.”
“Drivers and vehicles are lower quality now.”
Shuttered bars on Sixth Street in downtown Austin. Photo by Andrei Matei.
If you have used these services, have you heard any feedback from the drivers about their experiences during this time?
“In June they were saying they weren’t getting much work.”
“They say that people don’t wear masks, but they don’t want to tell them to wear masks because they need the business.”
“Many say they are switching to food delivery services.”
“They have said that plenty of people are still using rideshare services.”
“Our drivers were very quiet, unlike what was typical pre-pandemic. They seemed happy to have a customer in their cars.”
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