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Re:Uber, Postmates Agree on $2.65B All-Stock Deal by bonestormii_ on Monday July 06, 2020 @02:04AM (#23745136)
You raise an interesting point. Maybe with uber the goal is to integrate delivery work force with ride work force to improve utilization of drivers/deliverers. Horizontal, but complimentary.
Re:Uber, Postmates Agree on $2.65B All-Stock Deal by martinald on Monday July 06, 2020 @12:36PM (#23749600)
In many markets they are different vehicles, scooters/(e)bikes for food delivery, cars for passenger transport.

Even in markets where cars are used a lot for food delivery; I can't see it really working very well. It's hard enough trying to schedule food delivery drivers being in the right place at the right time (often waiting a while for food to be ready if the order got delayed in the kitchen). Trying to then piece together humans going places in between seems virtually impossible.

Re:Uber, Postmates Agree on $2.65B All-Stock Deal by bonestormii_ on Monday July 06, 2020 @06:51PM (#23753682)
Perhaps--I really know nothing about it.

However, if you allow yourself to simplify the problem, it seems there is really no physical difference from a food delivery and a ride. Pick up at one location, drop off at another--maybe with extra time required to get out of the car. In both cases, there is a limited allowable waiting threshold.

So if you can merge those work forces, you could attain higher utilization. The main problem I see though is that both sectors surge at roughly the same times, so it isn't quite as complimentary as you might initially hope.