NewsWatch
Keeping a critical eye on Uber,
Lyft and other transportation
network companies
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This is a special invitation to readers of Chauffeur Driven Magazine to sign up using the button above for AFT NewsWatch, a weekly service of Advocates for Fairness in Transportation. AFT is an ad hoc group of regulated transportation service companies dedicated to informing and educating the public on public safety and fair commerce issues presented by ride-sharing or ride-booking services such as Uber and Lyft. To read previous editions of AFT NewsWatch click here. |
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Seattle Uber, Lyft drivers investigated for sexual assault
Passengers are doing the right thing by not driving drunk. However, more and more women who use Uber and Lyft services after a night out claim that their drivers sexually assaulted them. KIRO 7's Amy Clancy noticed a growing trend as she dug through crime reports over recent months that multiple ride-share drivers are being investigated for rape. After months of investigating, Clancy interviewed an alleged victim who was willing to share her story.
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College student reported missing after Uber ride
The family of a missing Georgia State University college student is asking for the public's help in finding her. Photos of 21-year-old Monique Priester were posted on Instagram, and fliers are circulating around the Georgia State campus in hopes of locating her. Her mother told Channel 2's Nicole Carr that Priester left her stepfather's home in Dacula around 1:30 p.m. Friday and headed downtown to GSU for a study group. Hours later, the 21-year-old called an Uber to go back home.
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Fears over 'excessive and unsafe' 65-hour weeks for Uber cab drivers
Uber, the controversial min-cab service, has changed a page on its UK website which encouraged its drivers to work 65-hour weeks amid growing concern about "excessive and unsafe" hours driven on the service. Until last week, the entry page for new recruits on the company's British site promised drivers that Uber could "turn your car into a money machine," with earnings averaging £3360 a month.
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Uber's new policy fines riders who are two minutes late
Ride-sharing giant Uber is piloting a new cancellation policy in New York City, New Jersey, Phoenix, and Dallas, TechCrunch reported. The policy reduces the amount of time riders have to cancel trips and the amount of time drivers have to wait before charging tardy passengers. If the policy becomes permanent, it will change two things: first, riders will have two minutes, rather than five, to cancel a trip without incurring a penalty.
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Uber's argument against tipping: Riders have a racial bias
Uber, facing a chorus of criticism from its drivers for refusing to add a tipping function to its app, is mustering a provocative argument: Tipping is inherently unfair because of customers' unconscious racial biases. The transportation network company's stance is based in part on an academic study that found white restaurant servers earned larger tips, on average, than black servers who provided equally good service.
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Uber continues its assault on passengers, employees and hard-working families
If Uber's goal is to endanger its passengers, screw its employees and devastate hard-working families, then the company has hit the trifecta. The scandal-plagued company's record of hiring drivers who allegedly rape passengers and have criminal records ranging from assault to murder is well documented. So is its business model, which extracts 20 percent-plus from each fare while burdening drivers with gas, insurance and wear-and-tear costs for their vehicles.
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Uber threatens to leave Houston if fingerprinting continues there
Uber has notified Houston that it has a problem with fingerprinting. The company sent a letter to the Houston City Council complaining of what it says is a cumbersome city licensing process for ride-hailing service drivers, and the ride-hailing giant lobbed an open-ended threat to cease operations there if the rules aren't changed.
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Uber accused of using 'manipulated' poll to bully aldermen
A ride-hailing giant whose investors include Mayor Rahm Emanuel's brother was accused of using a "manipulated" poll and "sky-is-falling scare tactics" to kill a pending plan to license Uber drivers to level the playing field with cabdrivers. Ald. Anthony Beale (9th), chairman of the City Council's Transportation Committee condemned as a biased joke a poll conducted for Uber that purportedly shows overwhelming opposition to Beale's licensing plan.
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Business licenses for some SF Uber and Lyft drivers cost hundreds more than expected
Many of the 37,000 or so San Francisco Uber and Lyft drivers who learned that they were required to have a business license to ply their trade in the city have another shock in store when they go to comply with the regulations, as they're also getting hit with hundreds of dollars in penalties and fees.
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Uber's $100M driver deal won't curb future labor suits
Uber's surprise $100 million settlement of a pair of high-profile driver class actions in California demonstrates the ride-hailing giant's eagerness to avoid trial and preserve its business model, but experts say the move doesn't entirely insulate it from future legal attacks. After an aggressive nearly three-year battle, Uber Technologies Inc. and attorneys representing 385,000 California and Massachusetts drivers negotiated an unexpected $100 million proposed settlement in two class actions accusing Uber of misclassifying drivers as independent contractors and denying them proper tips.
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Uber IPO: $100 million settlement could scare potential investors
Before the inevitable Uber IPO date, the transportation disruptor is willing to pay up to $100 million to keep its business model intact. You see, drivers joined together to form a class-action lawsuit against Uber. And in order to keep drivers as independent contractors, Uber gave in to a list of demands in a settlement today. Because of this huge settlement, some investors are scared of what this means for the Uber stock price when it comes to market.
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Uber agrees to $225,000 settlement in lawsuit alleging discrimination against the blind
Uber has agreed to pay the National Federation of the Blind $225,000 over three years to settle a lawsuit alleging discrimination against blind riders, the company announced. The settlement, which is still pending approval from a judge, also requires Uber to notify drivers that they must provide transport to customers with service animals.
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Lawsuit against Lyft blames driver for fatal motorcycle crash
The widow of a motorcyclist killed in a crash in Southeast Austin is suing the ride-hailing company Lyft for $1 million, accusing a Lyft driver of causing her husband's fatal wreck and violating city law by stopping for passengers in a traffic lane. Lawyers representing Kelly Wenzel, wife of Robert Wenzel, filed a lawsuit against Lyft n Travis County district court. The suit comes at a crucial time for Lyft in Austin as voters consider the Uber- and Lyft-supported Proposition 1 that would repeal city rules on ride-hailing companies.
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