NewsWatch
Keeping a critical eye on Uber,
Lyft and other transportation
network companies
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This is the latest edition of AFT NewsWatch, a weekly service of Advocates for Fairness in Transportation, an ad hoc group of regulated transportation service companies dedicated to informing and educating the public on threats to public safety and fair commerce from so-called ride-sharing or ride-booking services such as Uber and Lyft. Visit the Archive to read previous editions. Click here to join our mailing list.
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Uber is testing an emergency response line, but there's a catch
Uber may be working to implant more security protocols to protect its passengers. The transportation service has created an Uber emergency response number for users to call in the event that they need help. The catch? The number is purposely hidden somewhere in its app. According to Inc., Uber's emergency response line has been available in 22 cities since October. However, the company has kept it under wraps until now, telling neither riders nor its drivers of the number's existence.
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Charge: Uber driver tried to rape Seattle-area passenger
A Seattle-area Lyft and Uber driver accused of trying to sexually assault a passenger has been charged with attempted rape. King County prosecutors say SeaTac resident Dereje Y. Kebede sexually assaulted the 22-year-old woman after picking her up in Seattle in March 2015. An arrest warrant is outstanding for Kebede, 40. Kebede is alleged to have picked up the woman outside a Seattle club and taken her to a Tukwila motel room.
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Teen claims Uber driver has been harassing him
A Charlotte teen and his mother are demanding answers from Uber after they said one particular driver has been harassing the 17 year old. "Frustrated. I mean it's crazy," said Isaiah, who doesn't want his full identity revealed. He said he booked a ride with Uber back in September to get from home to work. Since that ride, Isaiah says the Uber driver who picked him up has made unwelcomed advances.
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Uber executive accused of taking Lyft data may turn tables
A former Lyft Inc. executive accused of taking confidential information when he moved to Uber Technologies Inc. may get some fresh ammunition to turn the tables against his ex-employer. Travis VanderZanden, who was sued by Lyft in 2014 over his defection to its larger rival, won a tentative ruling allowing him to pursue a claim that Lyft invaded his privacy by looking inside his personal Dropbox account.
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Career criminal Uber driver pulls gun on Orlando passenger
An Uber driver in Orlando was accused of pulling a gun on a passenger, according to police reports and complaints filed with Uber by the Uber passenger two days ago. Equally alarming is the fact that the Uber driver also has a lengthy arrest record, including serving 30 months in prison for Grand Theft and Burglary, as well as an arrest associated with knowingly driving with a suspended driver's license in November 2014.
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Uber and Lyft drivers complain their take-home pay is dropping
The ride-hailing company Uber reduced its prices nationwide in February. The idea, Uber said, was to increase ridership. But Portland drivers are complaining they need to work longer hours and pay more for gas to keep up. This week, Lyft cut its prices to match Uber's. Drivers are discussing forming a union. The lower rates take a bite out of what drivers take home after paying a 20-percent surcharge to Uber. Newer drivers give even more to Uber: 25 percent.
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The Gig is Up: How Uber drivers are renewing focus on workers' rights
In California and beyond, gig economy workers are rekindling an old labor struggle. While 20 years ago the only people searching for "gigs" were struggling musicians, today the term "gig economy" -- also known as the sharing economy or the on-demand economy -- includes the world of digital freelance work powered by popular apps like Uber and Lyft.
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Uber faces class action lawsuit from its Texas drivers
A class action lawsuit has been filed against Uber on behalf of its Texas drivers. The attorney filed the lawsuit on behalf of one Uber driver but he says that's just the beginning, he isn't the only one complaining. "Uber has not been very fair and very truthful to its drivers," Uber driver Chris said. Chris has been an Uber driver for almost a year and a half. Uber is a California company's car service that provides drivers who can be hailed and dispatched through a mobile phone app.
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Uber is using its app to troll local politicians again
Florida residents who open the Uber app today won't see the typical estimated time to summon a car, but rather a message that reads "tap to vote for Uber." This leads to a second message: "Legislation currently blocked in the Florida Senate would allow all Floridians access to Uber." Users are then urged to register their support (green checkmark) or opposition (red x) to that statement. This brings up a third, more existential message. "It's not hard to hold an up or down vote," it reads.
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