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Uber ends Arizona driverless car programme | Uber ends Arizona driverless car programme |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Uber has pulled the plug on its self-driving car operation in Arizona two months after a pedestrian was killed in an accident involving one of its cars. | Uber has pulled the plug on its self-driving car operation in Arizona two months after a pedestrian was killed in an accident involving one of its cars. |
However, the ride-hailing company said it hopes to resume self-driving tests in Pennsylvania this summer. | However, the ride-hailing company said it hopes to resume self-driving tests in Pennsylvania this summer. |
The firm said it was committed to self-driving technology and "looked forward to returning to public roads". | |
It comes as the firm reported a huge jump in bookings for its main taxi business for the three months to March. | |
Uber gives drivers sick pay and parental leave | |
Uber began testing its first self-driving cars in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2016, gradually expanding to other places, including Arizona, San Francisco, California and Toronto. | |
It halted all those operations in March after the crash, which sparked debate about the readiness and safety of driverless car technology. | It halted all those operations in March after the crash, which sparked debate about the readiness and safety of driverless car technology. |
Jobs lost | |
The firm is also conducting a "top-to-bottom safety review" of its self-driving programme, including software and training. | The firm is also conducting a "top-to-bottom safety review" of its self-driving programme, including software and training. |
Uber hopes to resume tests this summer in Pittsburgh after federal officials conclude their investigation of the accident. | Uber hopes to resume tests this summer in Pittsburgh after federal officials conclude their investigation of the accident. |
After that, it will look at other locations. | After that, it will look at other locations. |
About 300 workers for the firm's self-driving programme in Arizona will lose their jobs. The more than 500 employees of its traditional taxi service in Arizona are not affected. | About 300 workers for the firm's self-driving programme in Arizona will lose their jobs. The more than 500 employees of its traditional taxi service in Arizona are not affected. |
Arizona's governor, who had championed driverless cars, ordered the company to stay off the road amid an outcry over the accident. | Arizona's governor, who had championed driverless cars, ordered the company to stay off the road amid an outcry over the accident. |
Huge growth | |
On Wednesday Uber reported it had almost halved its losses in the first quarter of 2018 as ride bookings jumped 51% from last year to $11.3bn. | |
Revenue, which subtracts driver payments and other items from bookings, climbed 73% to $2.6bn. | |
The San Francisco-based company, which has faced a spate of scandals and retreated from overseas markets, said quarterly profits were $2.5bn, due largely to the sale of business units in Russia and south east Asia. | |
Excluding such one-off items, the firm's losses totalled $312m - an improvement from $598m a year ago. | |
Uber boss Dara Khosrowshahi said Uber was likely to remain in the red as it reinvested in its food-delivery and new bike-renting services. | |
"Given the size of the opportunity ahead of us and our goal of making Uber a true mobility platform, we plan to reinvest any over-performance even more aggressively this year, both in our core business as well in big bets like Uber Eats globally." |
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