NewsWatch
Keeping a critical eye on Uber,
Lyft and other transportation
network companies
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Uber, Lyft fight push for driver scrutiny
Hailing a ride with a smartphone app in many U.S. cities is coming down to a fight over fingerprints. Following incidents in which Uber drivers were found to have criminal records, a number of state and local officials have proposed fingerprint background checks for ride-hailing drivers - often with the support of local taxi companies. Uber and its chief rival, Lyft, have fought those checks, contending their method of vetting drivers is just as safe.
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Riders must beware the fine print when taking Uber and Lyft
When you catch a ride using Uber or Lyft, you do so at your own risk. Under terms and conditions that riders agree to - but few read - at sign up, the app-based ride-hailing companies say they aren't legally liable for the safety of their drivers or the quality of their services. That's because the drivers are independent contractors, not employees. The terms seem to be at odds with company statements that highlight their efforts to keep riders safe with driver background checks, a code of conduct and other measures.
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An Uber disruption
On May 9, Uber's bluff was called in Austin and a new chapter began in the global economy. Uber and Lyft got into an argument with Austin's government over fingerprinting requirements. The two companies spent at least $8.6 million to push through a local ballot proposition to get their way. When Austin voters spurned them, Uber and Lyft suddenly halted their service, stranding riders and depriving drivers of expected income. Drivers are suing.
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Tech companies struggling in New York as Uber and Lyft fail to expand upstate, anti-Airbnb bill passes
Last week was not a good one for new economy technology businesses in New York. App-based ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft struck out in their efforts to expand to upstate. And the Legislature passed an anti-Airbnb bill that would prohibit the advertising of home sharing in multi-family units in New York City for less than 30 days and carry fines of up to $7,500 for multiple violations.
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When Uber drivers are hurt at work, who pays?
Kip Baldwin was driving four Uber passengers near downtown San Francisco when his car was broadsided by another Uber driver who ran a stop sign. Three months later, lingering pain from neck injuries and a concussion leave him unable to work. Uber's insurance company has offered him $21,000 for medical expenses, lost wages and "inconvenience."
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Former Uber driver sues company, saying he is owed overtime, tips
A former driver for Uber has sued the giant ride-hailing company in federal court, seeking unpaid overtime, tips and other payments on behalf of all current and former drivers in Wisconsin. The suit asks the court to "properly classify" Uber drivers as employees, not the independent contractors Uber says they are, a dispute in at least two dozen other lawsuits around the nation, and central to other companies' economic model in "the gig economy."
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Here's whats going on with all of those Uber lawsuits
Uber is being sued by so many people right now that it can be hard to keep track. Last year, 50 lawsuits were filed against Silicon Valley's favorite start-up in U.S. federal court alone-and since then, still more suits have been filed, while others have settled. Some of these suits could spell big trouble for Uber. Many of the cases challenge Uber's basic business model, arguing that that Uber misclassifies drivers as independent contractors, rather than employees.
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Uber not the road to riches, BuzzFeed report finds
Uber has long touted its ride-hailing service as a means to financial independence for its drivers. But a new report finds that drivers in three major US markets are making little more than workers at Walmart. A BuzzFeed examination of leaked internal price-modeling data and Uber's own calculations suggest that drivers in Denver, Detroit and Houston earned less than $13.25 per hour after expenses in late 2015. Drivers in the Detroit market were particularly hard hit, earning $8.77 per hour after expenses.
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Open letter to Gary Vaynerchuk and other investors of Uber
I'm writing this rant because of the recent BuzzFeed article I read on what Uber drivers actually make from driving and what Uber as a company advertises they'll make. A huge discrepancy between the two. I also felt the need to write this piece because Gary Vaynerchuk, a great all-around business guy and founder of VaynerMedia, talks a lot about "doing the right" thing yet openly shares he's an investor in Uber and is friends with it's founder, Travis Kalanick.
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Lyft driver caught on camera refusing to drop passenger off
A ride home from a restaurant turned into a nightmare for one Lyft passenger in Washington, D.C. After requesting a driver from the ride-sharing app on Wednesday, Desiree Taylor and her friend asked to be driven to their respective apartments. Taylor and her friend live five blocks away from one another on the same street, so they requested a Lyft Line ride, which allows multiple passengers to get a ride at a discount.
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