Uber is making a huge change in the way it handles information, with officials announcing Wednesday that it has agreed to provide data about rides and passenger information to the city of Boston.
The anonymous information, which will be provided quarterly, will include general locations where passengers were picked up or dropped off, when the rides started and ended and how long they lasted, according to The Boston Globe.
Meghan V. Joyce, the general manager of Uber Boston, said the ride-sharing service has received numerous requests from cities about sharing data, though the company argued against it to protect the privacy of customers. The company wanted to make sure that it would only share information if it would benefit riders as well as drivers.
The deal with Boston follows a week after Uber refused New York City's request to share data with the city's Taxi and Limousine Commission.
Boston is currently looking to establish new rules for ride-sharing services that would require these companies to have state operations certificates and conduct criminal background checks on their drivers, the Associated Press reported.
Jascha Franklin-Hodge, Boston's chief information officer, said Uber data will initially be provided to the city's transportation department, neighborhood development department and redevelopment authority. He added that Uber can also share information with other agencies in Boston.
Franklin-Hodge said the agreement will help Boston out with planning and development decisions, and Joyce said city officials will be able to manage street repairs, adjust traffic light patterns and focus transit investments, the Associated Press reported.
"The implications of this are just endless," Joyce said.
Uber will begin sharing ride data with Boston in two weeks, opening up the possibility that the company will do the same with other cities.
