Uber

Serve Robotics (SERV -0.55%) develops autonomous last-mile logistics solutions. It has a major deal with Uber Technologies (NYSE: UBER) that will see thousands of its latest robots deployed into the Uber Eats food delivery network. But this is more than just a commercial partnership, because Uber is also one of Serve’s largest shareholders.

Uber acquired a company called Postmates in 2020, and in 2021, it spun Postmates’ robotics division out into a new company that became Serve Robotics. Serve is still relatively small with a market capitalization of just $890 million, but at the time of this writing, its stock has soared by 67% over the past year alone.

Serve has identified an enormous addressable market for its delivery robots, so should investors join Uber and buy the stock?

A potential $450 billion opportunity

Existing last-mile logistics networks are quite inefficient, because they rely on cars with human drivers to deliver relatively small commercial loads from restaurants and retail stores. Serve is betting those workloads will increasingly shift to autonomous robots and drones, creating a potential $450 billion opportunity by 2030.

Serve’s latest Gen 3 robots have achieved Level 4 autonomy, meaning they can safely operate on sidewalks in designated areas without any human intervention. This makes them ideal for transporting small food orders, which is why 2,500 restaurants in five U.S. cities have used them to make 100,000 deliveries since 2022.

The Gen 3 robots use Nvidia‘s Jetson Orin platform, which includes all of the computing hardware and artificial intelligence (AI) software they need to operate autonomously. Having such a powerful technology partner will help Serve scale as quickly as possible, which is key to bringing costs down to management’s target of just $1 per delivery. At that point, using robots will be substantially cheaper than using human drivers.

Serve has a contract with Uber Eats to deploy 2,000 robots across Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, Atlanta, and Chicago before the end of 2025. The company rolled out its 1,000th robot on Oct. 6, meaning its capacity will double in just the next few months.

But it won’t stop there, because last week Serve announced a new multiyear deal with DoorDash, which operates the largest food delivery network in the U.S. The two companies are yet to provide firm numbers, so it’s unclear how many more robots Serve will have to deploy.

Scaling a robotics business is not cheap

Despite its status as a publicly traded company, Serve is still very much a start-up. Its revenue tends to be quite lumpy, which is typical when a product is in the early stages of commercialization. The company brought in just $642,000 in revenue during the second quarter of 2025 (ended June 30), which is a tiny amount relative to its $890 million market cap.

But Serve’s business could scale extremely quickly. Management thinks the company will generate up to $80 million in annual revenue once all 2,000 Gen 3 robots are up and running, which bodes well for 2026. Wall Street predicts Serve will generate $3.6 million in total revenue this year (according to Yahoo! Finance), so $80 million would be a monumental jump.

But so far, the road to commercialization has been paved with substantial losses. Serve lost $33.7 million on a generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) basis during the first half of 2025, so it’s on track to exceed its 2024 loss of $39.2 million by a very wide margin. The company spent $16 million on research and development alone during the first half of this year, so based on its minuscule revenues, its losses are no surprise.

Serve had $183 million in cash on hand as of June 30, and it raised a further $100 million from investors in October, so it has enough cushion to sustain its losses for the next few years (assuming they don’t materially increase). However, if the company doesn’t chart a pathway to profitability by then, it might have to raise even more money, which will dilute existing shareholders.

As a result, there is a lot riding on the successful commercialization of Serve’s 2,000 Gen 3 robots.

Serve stock trades at a sky-high valuation, but is it a buy?

Serve stock is extremely expensive right now. Its price-to-sales (P/S) ratio is a mind-boggling 486, making it substantially more expensive than any other major AI stock. Palantir Technologies, which also trades at a sky-high valuation, looks cheap by comparison because its P/S ratio is 128. For some further perspective, Nvidia stock has a P/S ratio of just 27.

SERV PS Ratio data by YCharts

With that said, if we assume Serve will generate around $80 million in revenue next year, its forward P/S ratio is just 11. In other words, it almost looks like a bargain.

But investors can’t always rely on management’s guidance, especially in this case because it assumes a perfectly smooth transition to commercialization for the Gen 3 robot. As with any new product, there will probably be bumps in the road, and we simply don’t know if it will scale successfully.

As a result, investors might be better off waiting a few more quarters to see if the rollout of the robots actually translates into as much tangible revenue as management expects. If it doesn’t, Serve stock could suffer a sharp correction because of its current valuation.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday signed into law a deal that will allow hundreds of thousands of rideshare drivers to unionize and bargain collectively while still being classified as independent contractors.

The legislation — a rare compromise between labor groups and Silicon Valley gig economy companies — grants collective bargaining rights to Uber and Lyft drivers, and follows years of political and legal battles over the job status of rideshare and delivery drivers.

The new law does not apply to other types of gig workers, including those who deliver food through apps like DoorDash.

Besides the collective bargaining deal, Newsom is also expected to sign a law backed by Uber and Lyft that would significantly reduce the companies’ insurance requirements.

Newsom, with his signing of the deal, drew a contrast with Trump’s posture towards workers and labor unions, with his administration banning collective bargaining at half a dozen federal agencies earlier this year.

“Donald Trump is holding the government hostage and stripping away worker protections. In California, we’re doing the opposite: proving government can deliver,” Newsom said in a statement. “That’s the difference between chaos and competence.”

Labor leaders from Service Employees International Union California, a powerful union that has been working for years to organize app-based drivers, say the deal is one of the largest expansions of private sector unions in 90 years, allowing hundreds of thousands of California gig drivers to gain a seat at the bargaining table.

It does so by exempting workers from the state and federal antitrust laws that normally prohibit collective action by independent contractors.

“The gig economy isn’t going away, but worker exploitation doesn’t have to be part of it.” David Green, SEIU 721 President and Executive Director.

Ramona Prieto, Uber’s Head of Public Policy for California, said in an emailed statement that the compromise “lowers costs for riders while creating stronger voices for drivers — demonstrating how industry, labor, and lawmakers can work together to deliver real solutions.”

Experts say the prospect of a union gives some gig workers their first-ever outlet to vent frustrations about workplace conditions. But how exactly does it work? And what are rideshare companies getting in return?

Here’s what you need to know:

What would it take for drivers to form a union?

Under federal law, employees in the U.S. can unionize by holding an election or reaching a voluntary agreement with their employers for a specific union to represent them.

The process for California Uber and Lyft drivers under the collective bargaining law, called Assembly Bill 1340, would be somewhat different.

A group can seek to be the bargaining representative for active drivers by collecting signatures from at least 10% of them. At that point, a group would be able to petition for access to names and contact information for all active drivers in California from the state’s Public Employment Relations Board, which is designated to oversee the unionization process.

With that contact list, the process of organizing drivers would in theory become easier. Once a group signs up 30% of active drivers, they could petition the board for union certification. If more than one organization is in the process of gathering signatures, an election would be held to determine which would represent drivers.

Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), who co-authored the bill with Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park), said the new process means drivers will be able to”bargain for better pay and protections, and help build a future where the gig economy works for the people behind the wheel.”

The law outlines a formula as to which drivers qualify as “active” based on a median number of rides they completed during the prior six month period, which determines who would be eligible to vote in the election.

It’s unclear at this point how many active drivers California has, as the number fluctuates, and rideshare companies do not release the information. Uber and Lyft will be required to submit data on active drivers to the state labor board on a regular basis under the new law.

That path to collective bargaining mirrors a ballot initiative approved by Massachusetts voters last fall that was also backed by SEIU, which allows drivers to form a union after collecting signatures from at least 25% of active drivers in the state.

Drivers affiliated with SEIU who supported the California bill said they spend long hours on the road, as many as 10 to 12 a day, but are not given the same protections as other workers. They say the law gives them an opportunity to negotiate their pay and other terms of their agreements with the companies.

“Drivers have had no way to fight back against the gig companies taking more and more of the passenger fare, or to challenge unfair deactivations that cost us our livelihoods,” said Ana Barragan, a gig driver from Los Angeles in a statement. “We’ve worked long hours, faced disrespect, and had no voice, just silence on the other end of the app.”

Some driver advocates have worried the law may not be strong enough to ensure that drivers can reach a fair contract.

Veena Dubal, a law professor at UC Irvine who studies the effect of technology on workers, had said the legislation does not clarify whether drivers would be protected if they collectively protested or went on strike, and doesn’t require that the companies provide data about wages.

“These are the crux of what makes a union strong and the very, very bottom line of what members need and want,” Dubal said. “That they couldn’t achieve those things — that’s a win for Uber.”

Michael Reich, a professor of economics and co-chair of the Center on Wage and Employment Dynamics at the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment at UC Berkeley who has closely studied the gig economy and advised on driver-related legislation, called a potential driver union “a golden opportunity” and the pair of laws “a good deal for both sides.”

What did gig economy companies get out of the deal?

The insurance bill, backed by Uber and Lyft and introduced by state Sen. Christopher Cabaldon (D-Yolo), would reduce the amount of insurance that companies like Uber and Lyft are required to provide for rides.

Uber said in a blog posted to its website, that the law helps to address “one of the biggest hidden costs impacting rideshare passengers and drivers in California.”

Currently, the companies must carry $1 million in coverage per rideshare driver for accidents caused by other drivers who are uninsured or underinsured. The companies have argued that current insurance requirements are so high that they encourage litigation for insurance payouts and create higher costs for passengers.

But beginning next year, passenger trips will instead be covered by $60,000 in uninsured motorist coverage per rideshare driver and $300,000 per accident.

Uber said it will maintain $1 million in liability insurance to cover injuries or property damage in accidents caused by their rideshare drivers, as well as insurance that covers the cost to repair the driver’s car, regardless of who is at fault for the damage.

The companies are also required to maintain $1 million in occupational accident coverage under gig economy law Proposition 22, which is supposed to help drivers with medical bills if they’re injured while driving, no matter who is at fault, Uber said.

What led to this point and how does Prop. 22 factor in?

After the California Legislature in 2019 rewrote employment law in 2019, clarifying and limiting when businesses can classify workers as independent contractors, Uber and Lyft went to the ballot in California, bankrolling an initiative to exempt their drivers.

When California voters passed Proposition 22, the ballot measure the companies funded in 2020, drivers were classified as independent contractors who, under federal law, do not have the right to organize. Proposition 22 had language that explicitly barred drivers from collectively bargaining over their compensation, benefits and working conditions.

But SEIU California argued that court decisions over Prop. 22 left an opening for the state Legislature to create a process for drivers to unionize, setting the state for lawmakers to introduce the collective bargaining bill. Uber and Lyft initially opposed the bill, until a deal was hammered out and announced in August.

Times staff writer Laura Nelson contributed to this report.

Uber Technologies (UBER 4.26%) has been hitting its stride. And the market is taking notice, as investors view the business in an extremely favorable light. As of Sept. 17, shares are up 54% in 2025 and 191% in the past three years. That’s an incredible rise that has driven its market capitalization to nearly $200 billion.

It’s important not to simply assume that the gains will continue. Investors should think about the factors that can support further upside. In this instance, it’s easy to be optimistic. Here are four reasons to buy Uber stock like there’s no tomorrow.

1. Growth

The first reason to add Uber to your portfolio focuses on the company’s growth, which has been spectacular. In the latest quarter (Q2 2025, ended June 30), Uber had 180 million monthly active platform consumers (MAPCs), up from 76 million exactly seven years ago. Unsurprisingly, this has led to soaring gross bookings and revenue in both the mobility and delivery segments.

Uber is currently available in 15,000 cities across the globe. However, there is still expansionary potential. Getting consumers to use multiple services, known as cross-promotion, is a big opportunity, as is boosting usage frequency.

There’s also the Uber One subscription program, which counts 36 million members. They spend significantly more than non-members. Increasing the share of MAPCs that become Uber One members can drive substantial growth.

2. Profitability

In 2019, Uber posted a whopping operating loss of $8.6 billion. Since then, management’s intense focus on running the business in a more efficient manner has worked wonders. In the last six months, the company reported operating income of $2.7 billion. This impressive profitability is the second reason to buy the stock.

Uber is proving that it can scale up in an extremely lucrative manner. Wall Street is bullish. Consensus analyst estimates call for earnings per share to increase at a compound annual rate of 23% between 2025 and 2027, much faster than projected revenue gains.

Free cash flow is also pouring in, totaling $2.5 billion in the second quarter. This is giving the leadership team confidence. They just announced a $20 billion share buyback authorization.

3. Autonomous vehicles

There are a lot of companies out there working on autonomous vehicle (AV) technology. While Uber previously had an AV unit, it sold this segment in 2020. Instead, the business is partnering with others, whether car makers or software providers, in an effort to help develop this technology. There are currently 20 partners.

Uber is in an advantageous position because it directly controls the relationship with 180 million MAPCs. Therefore, it has access to a large pool of demand. And it has expertise in operating a huge tech platform. This gives it a capital-light way to play in the AV market.

This doesn’t mean that Uber’s strategy is completely fail-safe. For instance, there is a risk that Tesla could be successful in its efforts to scale up its robotaxi service. This would create a competing platform to Uber.

4. Economic moat

Buying and holding companies that possess an economic moat, or durable competitive advantages, can contribute to investing success. Uber has this important characteristic, which is the fourth reason to add the business to your portfolio.

As a platform, the company benefits from a powerful network effect. More riders (drivers) add more value to drivers (riders), making the service more useful as it gets bigger.

Uber also has noteworthy intangible assets that support its ongoing success. Its brand is so strong that its often used interchangeably as a verb, indicating robust user mindshare. And the company’s ability to collect and utilize its data is also worth pointing out. This has spawned a new business line with digital advertising, a segment that raked in $1.5 billion in annualized revenue in Q1 earlier this year.

Uber’s growth trajectory, rising profits, position in the AV market, and economic moat are four reasons to buy the stock like there’s no tomorrow.

Neil Patel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Tesla and Uber Technologies. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Uber Technologies (UBER 1.05%) is a monster success story in the mobile age. The company, which was founded in 2009, has become a dominant platform that has a presence in more than 70 countries across the globe. Uber is so highly regarded that the company name is used interchangeably as a verb, a standing not many businesses achieve.

This transportation-as-a-service stock has been a huge winner. Just in the past three years, shares have rocketed 213% higher (as of Sept. 5). Besides this momentum, here’s one reason every investor should know about Uber.

Uber’s most impressive trait

Uber benefits from a powerful network effect. This favorable setup supports its competitive position. Its mobility segment connects riders with drivers. As the number of riders increases, drivers find the platform much more valuable, as they can generate more income from a bigger customer base.

On the other hand, more riders will come on board as well because the experience will improve with greater driver supply. Riders might see better pricing and lower wait times.

The same situation applies to the delivery segment. Only this time, a larger number of restaurants is introduced on the supply side.

Only getting better

There are key indicators that reveal the strength of the network effect. For instance, Uber’s user base continues to grow at an impressive pace. The company had 180 million monthly active platform consumers (MAPCs) (as of June 30), up 15% year over year. What’s more, the average number of trips per MAPC was 18.2 in Q2, up from 17.7 in the same period of 2024, showcasing impressive levels of engagement.

In recent years, Uber’s revenue and operating income have soared. The business is finding remarkable success, which has supported the stock’s rise. Credit goes to the network effect, a competitive advantage that investors should understand about Uber.

Neil Patel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Uber Technologies. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Uber Technologies (UBER -0.48%) might be a household name these days, with its global reach supporting strong brand recognition. However, it’s taken shareholders on a volatile journey since its initial public offering more than six years ago. For instance, the stock declined 18% in 2021, followed by a 41% drop in 2022.

But Uber’s stock chart has been moving up and to the right in recent years. If you’d invested $10,000 in the company’s shares five years ago, not long after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, here’s how much you’d have today.

Driving in the fast lane

After the pandemic hit, Uber’s business, at least on the mobility side, was decimated. Its delivery operations picked up the slack. Since then, however, the company has been thriving, and investors have reaped the rewards.

In the past five years, Uber shares have soared 174% (as of Sept. 5). Had you bought $10,000 worth of stock in early September 2020, you’d be staring at a position valued at $27,400 today. This gain comes even though Uber trades 7% below its all-time high from July.

Business is booming

In the latest quarter (Q2 2025 ended June 30), Uber reported gross bookings of $46.8 billion. This figure was up a remarkable 359% compared to exactly five years before. The company’s user base has also expanded significantly. Unsurprisingly, these trends have lifted revenue and operating income to new heights.

Even after such a stellar performance, the shares don’t look expensive, as they trade at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 23.5. Investors should consider buying the stock, although it’s best to set realistic expectations. Don’t anticipate another 174% gain between now and 2030.

Neil Patel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Uber Technologies. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom and California lawmakers on Friday announced a landmark deal with Uber and Lyft to allow hundreds of thousands of rideshare drivers to unionize and bargain collectively while still being classified as independent contractors.

The compromise between labor unions and the Silicon Valley companies, backed by Newsom, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and Senate Pro Tem Mike McGuire, would advance a collective bargaining bill through the Legislature along with a bill backed by Uber and Lyft that would significantly reduce the companies’ insurance requirements.

The deal is a major development in the years-long tussle between organized labor and Silicon Valley over rights for independent contractors.

Labor leaders from Service Employees International Union California, a powerful union that has been working for years to organize app-based drivers, said the deal is the largest expansion of private sector collective bargaining rights in California history.

“Labor and industry sat down together, worked through their differences, and found common ground,” Newsom said in a statement. The agreement, he said, will “empower hundreds of thousands of drivers while making rideshare more affordable for millions of Californians.”

With support from Rivas and McGuire, both bills are expected to sail through the Legislature before the session ends in mid-September. The agreement does not apply to other types of gig workers, including those who deliver food through apps like DoorDash.

The two bills “represent a compromise that lowers costs for riders while creating stronger voices for drivers,” said Ramona Prieto, Uber’s head of public policy for California, in a prepared statement.

The deal marks a new chapter in nearly a decade of tension between technology companies and state lawmakers over the employment status of the tens of thousands of Californians who do gig work for app-based companies.

“This moment has been a long fight for over a decade in the making,” said Tia Orr, the executive director of SEIU California.

After the California Legislature in 2019 rewrote employment law in 2019, clarifying and limiting when businesses can classify workers as independent contractors, Uber and Lyft went to the ballot in California to exempt their drivers.

When California voters passed Proposition 22, the ballot measure funded by Uber and Lyft, in 2020, drivers were classified as independent contractors and, under federal law, do not have the right to organize. Prop. 22 also explicitly barred drivers from collectively bargaining over their compensation, benefits and working conditions.

But SEIU California argued that court decisions over Prop. 22 left an opening for the state Legislature to create a process for drivers to unionize.

Earlier this year, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) and Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park) introduced the collective bargaining bill, AB 1340, which Uber and Lyft initially opposed.

The bill allows drivers to negotiate their pay and other terms of their agreements with the companies and exempts workers from the state and federal antitrust laws that normally prohibit collective action by independent contractors.

Under federal law, employees in the U.S. can unionize by holding an election or reaching a voluntary agreement with their employers for a specific union to represent them.

The process for California Uber and Lyft drivers would be somewhat different. The bill says drivers can select a bargaining representative by collecting signatures from at least 10% of active drivers, then petitioning the state’s Public Employment Relations Board for a certification.

That path to collective bargaining mirrors a ballot initiative approved by Massachusetts voters last fall that was also backed by SEIU, which allowed drivers to form a union after collecting signatures from at least 25% of active drivers in the state.

Veena Dubal, a law professor at UC Irvine who studies the effect of technology on workers, said the compromise reached by California lawmakers may not be strong enough to ensure that drivers can reach a fair contract.

The bill does not clarify whether drivers would be protected if they collectively protested or went on strike, she said, and doesn’t require that the companies provide data about wages.

“These are the crux of what makes a union strong and the very, very bottom line of what members need and want,” Dubal said. “That they couldn’t achieve those things — that’s a win for Uber.”

Uber driver Margarita Peñalosa, 45, of Los Angeles, said she realized she needed a union after being temporarily deactivated from the app, and losing three days of income, when a passenger who reeked of marijuana left behind a lingering smell in her car that other riders then complained about.

“That experience made me realize how powerless we can be,” she said. She said she hoped that a collective bargaining process would create a “clear, fair appeals process” for rider complaints.

A Southern California group that counts some 20,000 drivers as members said they had lobbied for provisions to strengthen the bill — including protections that would give drivers the right to strike and more enforcement resources for the state board tasked with overseeing the process — but had been largely shut out of negotiations.

“We were not invited into conversations about this, and we were banging on the door,” said Nicole Moore, president of Rideshare Drivers United.

Representatives from SEIU and Wicks’ office met multiple times with Rideshare Drivers United about their proposals and discussed why some weren’t included, said someone familiar with the negotiations who was not authorized to speak publicly. For example, that person said, strike protections could open up the bill to attack for potentially violating antitrust laws.

“While we always give fair consideration to suggested amendments, not all are ultimately viable,” Wicks said. She added that her office heard from dozens of constituents and advocates over months of public debate, and “any suggestion otherwise is disingenuous.”

Despite the weaknesses in the law, Moore said, she still hopes that it will help, since right now, she said, drivers “have no labor rights and our wages are in the dungeon.”

“We will do what we can with duct tape and a few paper clips and a little extra wax to actually wage a fight,” she said.

The insurance bill, backed by Uber and Lyft and introduced by state Sen. Christopher Cabaldon (D-Yolo), would reduce the amount of insurance that companies like Uber and Lyft are required to provide for rides.

Currently, the companies must carry $1 million in coverage per rideshare driver for accidents caused by other drivers who are uninsured or underinsured. The companies have argued that current insurance requirements are so high that they encourage litigation for insurance payouts and create higher costs for passengers.

The agreement instead calls for $60,000 in uninsured motorist coverage per rideshare driver and $300,000 per accident.

Cabaldon said that the changes would eliminate “outsized insurance requirements that don’t apply to any other forms of transportation, such as taxis, buses, or limos.”

THE best takeaways in the UK and Ireland have been revealed – and your local favourite could be on the list.

Uber Eats has announced a shortlist of 12 finalists competing in this year’s Restaurant of the Year Awards.

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Takeaway fans have been voting for their favourite restaurant to claim the top prize, which will be announced later this year.

A total of 130 restaurants originally made the nominations list.

Now one takeaway from each region has been selected to have a shot of becoming the overall winner.

These are the finalists:

• London – Sanjugo
• Yorkshire – Silver’s Deli
• Scotland: YAYAS
• North West: Burg N Ice
• North East: Sushi Me Rollin’
• West Midlands: Taqi’s Grill
• Wales: Sharkbite Burgers
• South West: Low & Slow
• South East: Umami Street Food
• East Midlands & Anglia: Wok & Grill
• Northern Ireland: Seed
• Ireland: Urban Health

London gem Sanjugo has an impressive 4.8 stars out of 5 on Google Reviews.

The Japanese sushi restaurant currently has locations in Angel, Shoreditch and Victoria.

Another Japanese restaurant to make the cut is Sushi Me Rollin’ in Newcastle Upon Tyne.

It’s known for its hand-crafted sushi with wacky names, including The Attenborough and The Karate Squid.

Two burger restaurants are also on the list.

There’s Burg N Ice, which offers smashed burgers and crispy chicken tenders alongside sweet treats like ice cream and waffles.

Meanwhile Sharkbite Burgers in Cwmbran, Wales, serves up giant burgers like the Daddy Shark and the Megalodon.

It was set up by competitive bodybuilder Mark, also known as Sharkey, and his partner Tash.

Barbecue and grill restaurants also feature among the finalists.

Taqi’s Grill in Birmingham is known for its Cajun Chargrilled Doner Kebab, Signature Burger and Beef Smash Burger.

Meanwhile Low & Slow in Bristol smokes its delicious meat dishes for up to 20 hours to get the perfect texture and taste.

Leicester’s Wok & Grill offers a fusion of authentic Indo-Chinese and flame-grilled dishes.

You can get everything from noodle and rice boxes to peri peri chicken and gourmet burgers.

The winner of the sought-after title will be crowned in London.

They will receive a huge £100,000 prize to invest into their business.

All the finalists will receive a £5,000 prize and a tailored support package from Uber Eats to help boost their business.

The winners will be judged by experts such as Levi Roots, Eating with Todd, Clodagh McKenna, and 2024 Restaurant of the Year winner Natty Crutchfield.

More than 60% of restaurants on Uber Eats are small or medium-sized businesses.

Matthew Price, general manager of Uber Eats UK, Ireland and Northern Europe, said: “Independent restaurants are the beating heart of the UK and Ireland’s food scene.

“Whether it’s your local burger joint, a climate-conscious vegan cafe, or a TikTok-famous pop-up, Uber Eats is proud to support the businesses that bring flavour, jobs, and culture to our communities.”

Across the U.S., “women riders and drivers have told us they want the option to be matched with other women on trips,” Camiel Irving, Uber’s VP of U.S. and Canada operations, said Wednesday as the company announced its new feature to allow women to pick women drivers or passengers. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

July 23 (UPI) — Uber said Wednesday its new feature will allow women passengers and drivers to avoid being paired with men on the ride-sharing app in a push to enhance safety.

Across the United States, “women riders and drivers have told us they want the option to be matched with other women on trips,” Camiel Irving, Uber’s VP of U.S. and Canada operations, wrote in a release.

“We’ve heard them — and now we’re introducing new ways to give them even more control over how they ride and drive.”

The pilot program is slated to begin next month in the United States. It will permit and prioritize a woman-to-woman match when they book or pre-book a ride, which can be a new preference in the app’s settings.

It also will allow a female driver the option to choose only another person of the same gender.

Irving says it’s about giving women more choice, control and comfort.

However, the option is not a guaranteed but does maximize the likelihood of woman-woman pairing.

The Uber pilot program will start American operations in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Detroit.

It begins in the United States after the feature’s trial run in Germany, France and Argentina.

“Most drivers are men, so we’ve worked to ensure this feature was truly usable in different places around the world,” Irving added.

Uber in 2019 put out its women ride preference in Saudi Arabia after women were granted the right to drive the year prior, which saw the ride feature expanded to roughly 40 other nations.

That came after the global ride-sharing company was given a $3.5 billion Saudi investment in 2016.

It’s among a number of other safety features Uber unveiled in recent years.

It comes nearly a year after Uber’s competitor Lyft launched its own similar app options for women and nonbinary persons.

Whatever the wealthy want, they get… this is the staff code at Luxico, a luxury accommodation business that shows how the other half live…

Lobster for breakfast? Private beach? String quartet? Shut down an entire venue? Iron the pillow cases? Whatever the wealthy want on holiday, they get. Jaw-dropping new series, Billion Dollar Playground (Monday 7th July, BBC Three, 9pm) follows the staff at Luxico, Australia ’s No.1 luxury accommodation business, who work around the clock to deliver a luxury experience to the super rich – and the super demanding.

Lead concierge Salvatore, a professional perfectionist, says: “Rich people want all kinds of things. If my guests want lobster for breakfast, they get it. They want a Lambhorgini, no problem sir. “I’ve had to be a best friend, the servant and a downright slave. You can never tell these people ‘no’.” CEO Alex says: “Our guests are the world ’s elite. They’re uber wealthy and highly demanding. To make the impossible possible, our team are available 24/7.”

There’s a ‘Selling Sunset’ vibe to this show as we also follow the tensions and rivalries between the staff members – all of whom are beautiful. Concierge Heaven says: “I have a super power. The guests love me because I make their dreams come true.” She’s not too impressed when a new concierge arrives, Jasmin, who says: “I’m hungry for this job.” Matt and George know their role. “We’re a couple of good looking brothers who can cook,” says George. There’s also JB, the snooty French butler, trainee Nicole, driver Jay and housekeeper Elsie, who loves the job because she’s nosy. As everyone flirts, rows and gets tense over a smudge or a crinkle, this is a fascinating peek at homes worth millions and guests who want it all.

Billion Dollar Playground is airing on BBC Three tonight at 9pm.

There’s plenty more on TV tonight – here’s the best of the rest..

INSOMNIA, 5, 9pm

This began last night with an old lady muttering numbers to herself, before slamming her head into a mirror and knocking herself out. It was a creepy opening to this gripping six-part thriller, adapted from the bestselling novel by Sarah Pinsborough and starring Line of Duty actor Vicky McClure. Vicky plays successful lawyer Emma Averill, who begins to suffer from insomnia as her 40th birthday approaches, just as her mother Patricia had done before suffering a psychotic break.

The old lady turned out to be Patricia, and Emma’s sister Phoebe (Leanne Best) was trying to get the mother and daughter to mend bridges at hospital. In tonight’s episode, Emma’s irritation at Phoebe’s presence gives way to shock when she learns that their mother is dead. Distracted, Emma accidentally hits a cyclist, care worker Caroline. That night, Emma’s disturbing nighttime activity escalates when she wakes up calf-deep in the pond. Is she going mad like her mother? Either way, she’s definitely not sleeping and life is unravelling…

SCRUBLANDS: SILVER, BBC2, 9pm

This Australian rural noir drama, set in the heart of the outback, follows journalist Martin Scarsden as he tries to get to the bottom of a murder in his hometown. Martin (Luke Arnold) had been looking forward to a peaceful holiday with his partner Mandy (Bella Heathcote), but on the way he got a strange call from his childhood friend Jasper. When he arrived, Jasper was dead – and Mandy was holding the weapon.

Mandy has now been arrested and is in a police cell as she is presented with the knife that killed Jasper. A witness claims they saw her throw it in the river the previous night – it was an anonymous tip off. “So Mandy murdered Jasper, hid the knife, then what three days later just tossed it in a river? Have you intereviewed anyone else?” shouts Martin. The only thing Martin can do is continue to hunt for the real killer. Meanwhile, a vigil for Jasper is organised at Hummingbird retreat. Concludes tomorrow night.

24 HOURS IN POLICE CUSTODY: NIGHTCLUB PREDATOR, CHANNEL 4, 8pm

This is the conclusion of a two-part special, following the chilling case of serial sexual predator Craig France. France, 33, targeted young women at nightclubs and plied them with alcohol before taking them to his property where he had set up hidden cameras. Cameras follow as officers from Cambridgeshire Police Rape Investigation team wait for the CPS to approve charges for rape and voyeurism. But they are only just beginning to understand the darkest depths of France’s criminality.

Digital investigators are horrified to discover that hidden within his devices are not only videos of the two known victims, but hundreds of other explicit videos of young women in vulnerable states, seemingly captured without their knowledge. As he applies for bail, the threat of his release from prison intensifies pressure on the team, who have to knock on the doors of the women identified in France’s videos, and drop the bombshell that they may be unknowing victims of this dangerous criminal.

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