This Week In Rideshare: Airports, Pay and Alto.
Uber aids air travel, drivers get a raise, and Alto keeps growing. LegalRideshare breaks it down.
MONDAY 3/6/23
Uber drivers reveal their pet peeves. Autoblog adds:
Are you always late to your Uber? Less than polite to drivers? Ask them to stop at drive-thrus? You may not like it, but you could be an Uber driver’s worst nightmare.
1. Rude passengers
2. Requesting stops at drive-thrus or convenience stores
3. Not tipping
4. Arriving late
5. No-go zones
TUESDAY 3/7/23
Uber makes getting a ride from the airport a little easier. Engadget reported:
Uber is introducing a few updates that can streamline trips to and from airports. Most notably, you’ll get walking directions for the pickup location, and ETAs for baggage claim. You can hustle if you need a ride quickly, or take your time collecting your bags.
Uber Reserve will also be more useful for scheduling your ground travel. The company now allows booking rides up to 90 days in advance instead of 30, making it easier to plan every step of your vacation. Reserve will also be available in many more North American cities (over 7,300), and New York City customers can book UberX, XL and Comfort rides in addition to Black and Black SUV. A Business Comfort tier, meanwhile, will provide a “unique” experience for work travellers.
Walking ETAs will “soon” be available in over 400 airports. The Business Comfort option will be available sometime in the near future.
WEDNESDAY 3/8/23
Drivers in Boston are pushing to unionize. NBC Boston reported:
A group of about 30 ride-hailing drivers gathered in front of the State House Tuesday to push lawmakers to pass a bill that would grant such workers the right to unionize in Massachusetts.
Known among drivers as “Rideshare Drivers Justice Bill,” the act was filed by lead sponsors Rep. Frank Moran, state Sen. Liz Miranda and state Sen. Jason Lewis, and is backed by the Drivers Demand Justice coalition. It would grant drivers access to collective bargaining rights, discrimination protection, unemployment insurance, paid sick time and guaranteed minimum wage.
Companies such as Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. consider their drivers to be independent contractors, which don’t have a federal right to form a union. The National Labor Relations Act protects that right for employees, but explicitly excludes independent contractors.
THURSDAY 3/9/23
Uber & Lyft drivers get a pay increase. Crain’s New York reported:
The city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission approved a roughly 9% pay increase compared to last year’s rates for drivers Wednesday, following a legal fight with Uber that blocked a similar raise from taking effect in December.
Minimum pay increases to the per-mile and per-minute rates mean that a 7.5 mile, 30-minute trip will result in a base fare of $26.76 for drivers. The raise is an increase of $2.16 — or 8.78% — from the rates in effect as of January. The increase, TLC officials said, is to account for gas, car payments and other ballooning driver expenses that outpaced inflation last year. Uber and Lyft are expected to pass the pay increase on to passengers.
In an email, a spokesperson for Uber called the new pay rules “more reasonable then what was previously proposed.” A representative from Lyft agreed.
FRIDAY 3/10/23
While Uber & Lyft struggle to make a profit, Alto keeps growing. Forbes reported:
Founded in 2018, Alto has survived the COVID-19 pandemic, the car shortage and consequent high pricing, as well as the challenges of a start-up taking on dominant industry players. We met some of the Alto team and saw its vehicles at the recent Curbivore conference in downtown Los Angeles.
Alto says that a key differentiator is that, unlike the rideshare companies, its drivers are W-2 employees, who are interviewed, background checked, and professionally trained.
A company spokesperson says the idea is to create a consistent, elevated experience for the passenger on every ride. The company describes its pricing as and service model as “Black Car” in the sense that its vehicles are standardized, drivers are employees and vehicles will arrive reliably, especially when pre-booked.
Currently, Will Coleman, Co-Founder and CEO, says the company’s focus is on “top line growth and profitability from the luxury segment where we compete, achieving better economics from more vehicles and customers.”
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