This Week in Rideshare: Tesla, Tips, and Taxis.
Tesla teases rideshare, a glitch kills tips, and taxis get denied. LegalRideshare breaks it down.
MONDAY 7/27/20
Tesla has been teasing the idea of competing head-to-head with Uber and Lyft. Electrek reports:
For years now, Tesla has taunted a ride-hailing app to be powered by its self-driving system.
At first, the automaker has been linking the launch of the app with its Autopilot system reaching full self-driving capability, but CEO Elon Musk recently said that he was open to releasing the app, which he has called the “Tesla Network,” ahead of achieving full autonomy.
TUESDAY 7/28/20
Drivers scored a big win in New York as a judge ruled that the state must promptly begin paying them unemployment benefits. New York Times reported:
In her ruling, Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall appeared to come down firmly on the side of drivers in this broader debate, citing “an avoidable and inexcusable delay in the payment of unemployment insurance.”
WEDNESDAY 7/29/20
If the gig economy wasn’t thrashed enough, an Uber Eats glitch caused drivers to lose tips. CNET reported:
Since late Sunday, drivers and customers have been posting on Twitter and Reddit saying the tipping option was no longer available in the app. One Reddit thread had more than 121 comments from people complaining of the glitch. Some drivers said Uber’s customer support told them nothing was wrong with the app, implying the drivers just didn’t earn any tips.
THURSDAY 7/30/20
The courts weighed in favor of Uber on Friday, as they denied taxi companies a chance to sue the ride-hailing giant. SF Chronicle explains:
A state appeals court ruled in March that the law giving the state commission authority over Uber’s rates had the effect of barring suits by competitors over those rates. The companies and the taxi driver appealed to the state’s high court, but the court said Wednesday that only Justice Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar had voted to take up the case, three short of the majority needed for review by the seven-member court.
ADDITIONAL NEWS:
Also on Thursday, Bryant Greening talked with Dr. Eugene Jao of La Clinica SC about the importance of medical treatment and legal representation after gig-worker related accidents and injuries.
FRIDAY 7/31/20
It appears we’ve come full-circle as Lyft is now expanding its services to car rentals. CNN Business reported:
When booking a rental, customers can select the class of vehicle they’ll want, such as an SUV. Thirty minutes before a rental is scheduled to begin, customers can choose the exact make and model. Lyft said it will offer a $10 Lyft ride credit to get customers home after they return a rental to a Sixt lot.
LegalRideshare is the first law firm in the United States to focus exclusively on Uber®, Lyft®, gig workers, bikeshare and e-scooter accidents and injuries.
