Lyft hits the gas as Uber skids
DETROIT - Ride-hailing service Lyft carried more passengers through June this year than it did in all of last year as it capitalized on missteps by Uber.
Ridership through June surpassed the record 162.5 million rides it gave in all of 2016, Lyft said Monday. A spokeswoman wouldn't give an exact number. The company has made its gains as some people avoid Lyft's much larger rival, Uber. Both companies are based in San Francisco.
Uber has been without a CEO since June when company co-founder Travis Kalanick stepped down under pressure from the board. The departure took place after investigations by outside law firms uncovered widespread sexual harassment at the company.
Kalanick also was captured on video in a profanity-laced tirade toward an Uber driver, and the company is under federal investigation for allegedly using software to thwart city inspectors who were trying to monitor its drivers.
Meanwhile, finding a replacement for Kalanick has not gone smoothly. The reported front-runner, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPQ) CEO Meg Whitman, announced on Thursday that she would not take the job. Media reports say some board members are now talking to outgoing General Electric (GE) CEO Jeffrey Immelt.
The New York Times reported Monday that Kalanick may attempt to regain an operational role in the company he helped to create.
Lyft wouldn't comment on Uber but says it added 160 U.S. cities this year. The company operates only in the U.S. Uber says it's given more than 5 billion rides worldwide since 2010.
Lyft confirmed its 2017 ridership numbers for the first time Monday while announcing the appointment of a new board member. Former Obama administration senior adviser Valerie Jarrett is the board's 10th member. She was assistant to the president for public engagement and intergovernmental affairs for his entire term, according to Lyft.