Data compiled by Euromonitor shows a surge in Uber drivers in Europe. In France and London the number of reported private hire vehicles (PHV) doubled in three years.
This has made Uber a giant taxi company in Europe.
Since Uber’s arrival in London, its biggest European market, taxi and PHV trips have increased by roughly 25% in the capital. This data strongly correlates with a 23% increase in overall CO2 emissions for the taxi and PHV sector in the UK in the same period.
The analysis estimates that in London and Paris alone, the emissions of Uber taxi services could be as high as half a megatonne of CO2. This is equivalent to adding the CO2 emissions of an extra 250,000 privately owned cars to the road.
These kilometers have predominantly been driven by petrol and diesel cars, exacerbating the air pollution crisis in European cities. Worryingly, French government data from 2017 show that 90% of the registered private hire vehicles, which includes Uber, were diesel cars.
The campaign in Europe calls on Uber to go 100% clean rides in large cities by 2025 and in all of Europe by 2030.
