Uber and Lyft drivers slow down New York traffic to protest changes in the application

Traffic was blocked Tuesday on the Brooklyn Bridge and FDR Drive when hundreds of Uber and Lyft drivers conducted a "motorcade of slow vehicles" to Gracie Mansion to protest new changes to applications enterprises. Motorists say businesses prevent them from making a living and want the mayor and city council to intervene.

According to the Independent Drivers Guild, "as of Tuesday, Uber will adopt new rules to prevent users from accessing applications between shifts and in low demand areas in order to avoid paying the drivers in accordance with the wage regulations of New York City Lyft has adopted a similar policy "The Commission of Taxis and Limousines of New York City has not acted, the Guild of drivers has therefore asked the Mayor and the city council to prevent applications from violating the pay rules in an attempt to scam. poorly paid drivers. "

In June, Lyft changed its policy to comply with minimum wage laws. As Crain explains, "the new payment formula allows for the time that a driver travels with an empty car.The more a cruise driver cruises, the more the application-based company must share the revenue from its rates to ensure that the driver earns less than $ 17 an hour after spending. "Application-based services with a" high utilization rate "(which means that their drivers carry passengers almost 60% of the time) can contribute less to their pay. "Reducing congestion in Midtown taxis and limousines wants fewer empty cars."

Now, Uber does the same, not that Lyft wants it or not; Lyft had filed (and then dropped) a lawsuit challenging the minimum wage rule, while Uber had said in a statement Monday: "We have seen time and time again the TLC of Blasio's (Bill) mayor adopt arbitrary and politically motivated rules which have been unintended consequences for drivers and riders ".

The Independent Drivers Guild said: "By disconnecting the drivers from the application and asking them to go to a higher demand area in order to be able to make their next trip, Lyft would be transferring the travel and time costs of the trip. Wait on the drivers and so on, do, violate the rules of this commission ".

NYC's yellow cabs sector is in crisis, in part because of increased competition from application-based services. IDG has asked for a Driver Rights Charter, which would prevent apps from disabling drivers without a stated cause, among other warranties.