Driver display of Lyft and Uber stickers in downtown LA.
Photo credit: Richard Vogel, AP, Jan. 12, 2016.

Thurston’s 4 largest cities should learn the impacts of the perils and pitfalls of ride-sharing services.
Steven Hill’s prophetic book “Raw Deal: How the “Uber Economy” and Runaway Capitalism Are Screwing American Workers” is being currently demonstrated in New York City, with a 72-hour NYC Uber drivers strike (read below).

Coordinated and strict regulations are key.


– Yelm and 3 largest county cities drafting rules for Uber
“Regional approach best for dealing with Uber”
“South Sound cities are moving to cooperate”
“City councils could consider proposal in February or March”

“The cities of Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater and Yelm are moving to draft rules for the ride-hailing business known as Uber.

With Uber, drivers use their own cars and act as independent contractors who are connected to their customers via a smartphone app.

Unlike taxi cabs that are dispatched by a cab company, Uber customers and drivers find each other using the app. The customer pays using the app so no cash is used.”

“A draft ordinance has emerged after preliminary discussions between the cities. Formal proposals might go to city councils in the four jurisdictions in February or March.”

“Certainly other cities have had difficult fights between existing taxi businesses and Uber or its cousins known as Lyft and Sidecar.

Unless there is good evidence to the contrary, it makes sense to apply similar standards to taxi operations and ride-hailing services,” quoting Brad Shannon, for The Olympian Editorial Board.
Read more


– “NYC Uber drivers strike over fare cuts”
“Hundreds of angry Uber drivers unplugged from the car-service app on Monday [Feb. 1] to protest the company’s new rate cuts, which they say have drastically slashed their take-home pay.

More than 400 hacks rallied outside the company’s Queens headquarters for the start of a 72-hour strike, which will continue on Tuesday [Feb. 2] at La Guardia and Kennedy Airports.

‘Uber is killing us,’ said Paul Ryan, 50, who has been driving for the company for a year and a half.’They call us partners, but we have no vote. We’re not partners — we’re slaves to them,'” by Danielle Furfaro and Kenneth Garger, New York Post.
Read more


– UberX serving LAX after a year of very difficult disputes were resolved
“After months of negotiations and political infighting, the wait is over: Drivers for Uber’s lowest-cost ride service will be allowed to pick up travelers at Los Angeles International Airport starting at 8 a.m. Thursday [Jan. 21].”

“Uber and Lyft spent months proving to officials that they could comply with the terms of their contracts,” quoting Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times.
Read more


– “Uber is Tracking Drivers to Catch Them If They Speed”
“Uber drivers might want to think twice about flooring it with a passenger in the car. The company has been tracking some rides in a pilot program to see if drivers are going too fast or braking too hard.”

“The goal of the program, the company said Tuesday in a blog post, is to get to the truth when a driver gets a low rating from a passenger.”

“Uber told NBC News that it was testing whether the pilot program was effective before making any decisions about rolling it out across its entire network,” by Keith Wagstaff, NBC News.
Read more


– “How the ‘Temporary’ Economy affects American workers”
“Raw Deal: How the “Uber Economy” and Runaway Capitalism Are Screwing American Workers”
By Steven Hill
Read more, covered on this Blog January 9, 2016.