Uber driver how does it work

If Harriet Lowell wants to travel more than just a few blocks, she usually has to plan far in advance. That's because she's disabled and uses a motorized wheelchair, and it takes at least 24 hours to schedule a ride with a paratransit van.Where Lowell lives, just north of New York City in White Plains, paratransit vans are the only for-hire vehicles equipped with wheelchair lifts and ramps. That means no quick runs to the grocery store or just dropping by a friend's house -- unless her husband drives her. And when there's an emergency, like the time her husband was rushed to the emergency room with a pulmonary embolism, things get complicated."I couldn't get there," said Lowell, who's 62 years old. "There was nobody to take me."After that shock, Lowell decided that she -- and all people in wheelchairs -- should be able to get an on-demand ride like everyone else.  She sued Lyft in 2017 in a pending class action suit on the grounds that the company allegedly discriminates against … [Read more...] about Lyft under fire over how to accommodate people in wheelchairs

Denise can't exactly remember the number of stops she made driving an Uber passenger who needed to run a bunch of errands -- fast. "He needed to go from A to B, then B to C, then C back to A again," says Denise, who doesn't want to use her last name. "He told me, 'Oh my God, I'm so glad you're doing this. You're making my day so much easier.'" She drove him around Los Angeles for more than 90 minutes, yet traveled only 35 miles or so in that time. And since Uber primarily uses mileage to calculate its fares, the ride didn't cost much. The grateful passenger said he wanted to give her a big tip: $20. He tapped the tip into the app -- and paused, "You gotta be kidding me," he told her. "It's saying it's over the limit." Uber's app refused to let Denise's passenger tip $20 (or more), and he didn't have any cash on him. He ended up giving her the most the app would allow: $14.80. Denise has been a full-time Uber driver for six years and never saw a tip limit before. But then, it's … [Read more...] about Uber has a tip limit? That’s news to drivers

Uber CEO and co-founder Travis Kalanick said Tuesday he's taking a leave of absence. The news comes after an independent investigation recommended that changes to senior leadership are needed to mitigate the slew of scandals that have plagued the ride-hailing company over the past several months. "The ultimate responsibility, for where we've gotten and how we've gotten here rests on my shoulders," Kalanick, 40,  wrote in a memo to Uber employees. "For Uber 2.0 to succeed there is nothing more important than dedicating my time to building out the leadership team. But if we are going to work on Uber 2.0, I also need to work on Travis 2.0 to become the leader that this company needs and that you deserve." The announcement casts a cloud over Uber's future. The company, founded in 2009, managed to upend the taxi industry and become the world's most valuable startup, with a valuation of $68 billion. With its no-apologies attitude and notoriously aggressive co-founder, Uber is … [Read more...] about Uber CEO Travis Kalanick takes leave amid wave of scandals

Uber is heading into one of the biggest court battles it's seen to date. US District Judge Edward Chen is slated to decide on Thursday whether to grant class action status on a lawsuit in which three drivers are suing Uber for reportedly misclassifying them as independent contractors rather than employees. Chen's decision could have a huge impact on Uber's business model and also create a ripple effect throughout the entire on-demand economy. Uber, which is a ride-hailing service that pairs passengers with drivers via a smartphone app, is one of the world's most valuable startups. Since the company launched in 2009, it's grown to operate in more than 250 cities in 58 countries. Uber is also one of the highest-valued venture-backed companies in the world with a valuation of more than $50 billion by some estimates. Uber's current classification of drivers as contractors means it's not responsible for all sorts of costs, including Social Security, health insurance, paid sick days and … [Read more...] about Uber heads to court over how it classifies its drivers