Ride-Sharing, Safer or More Dangerous for Women?

Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of the introduction of ride-sharing service on sexual offence rates in London. Exploiting the launch of UberX in July 2013 as a natural experiment, we apply a Regression Discontinuity in Time (RDiT) method, using monthly crime data at the Middle Layer Super Output Area (MSOA) level from 2010 to 2016. We find that Uber’s market entry accounts for a statistically significant decline in sexual offences, particularly in the eight months window following its entry. To further examine Uber’s moderating role, we explore how its presence interacted with public transportation disruptions by analysing two major tube line closures, one before and one after Uber’s entry. A Difference-in-Differences (DiD) approach suggests that while the 2011 disruption had no significant effect on sexual offence rate, the 2015 closure coinciding with Uber’s presence led to a significant reduction in sexual offences. Our findings highlight the potential of technology-enabled transport alternatives to enhance urban safety, particularly for women.