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"content": "\u003cp>As you will quickly discover if you ask your cab driver what he or she thinks about Uber and Lyft, those who work in the taxi industry consider the ride-service companies to be four-letter words of another order.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, over the past few years, San Francisco taxi companies have had trouble filling their shifts. That's because drivers have jumped ship to work for the upstarts, and new drivers entering the profession have opted for the ride services as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Examiner reported on Wednesday that Yellow Cab, the largest taxi company in the city, \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfexaminer.com/yellow-cab-to-file-for-bankruptcy/\" target=\"_blank\">will soon file for bankruptcy\u003c/a> in order to restructure its business.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"On background, multiple sources told the Examiner that cab companies are having a tough time hiring competent drivers and may be hiring drivers with spotty driving records,\" the paper said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet, there are other drivers who have taken the opposite route, going from Uber and Lyft to driving a cab.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mickey Kelley operates the San Francisco Taxi School, which offers prospective cab drivers the courses they must take to get licensed. Classes range from five to 15 students each week. He estimates that from one-third to one-half of his students over the last six months have been former Uber and Lyft drivers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It started longer than six months ago, but about six months ago it really picked up,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of those were former cab drivers who had let their licenses expire when they moved on to the ride-service companies but now wanted to return to taxi work, Kelley says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We’ve had cab drivers that quit driving a cab [to work for a ride-service firm], and a lot of those guys have come back and had to drive a cab again,“ he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hansu Kim, owner of Flywheel Cab, said he's seen the same thing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re seeing a stream of UberX and Lyft drivers looking to drive a taxi now,\" Kim said. \"It used to be a trickle, now it’s more of a stream. Not the floodgates, yet.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Flywheel referred me to Abdallah Hammad, 49, who has been driving for the company for about three years. To supplement his income, he drove on the side for both Uber and Lyft for about a year, but stopped around seven or eight months ago. The main reason: the extra cost and \"wear and tear\" of using his own car to do business.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(Note: Ride-service drivers can get partial relief from this expense by using the standard mileage-rate deduction on their tax returns.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hammad said that twice during Uber calls, customers became angry at the inflated fares they had to pay during a \u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/search?q=surge+pricing+ube\" target=\"_blank\">surge pricing period\u003c/a> and slammed his car door so hard he had to have his automatic windows repaired.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But hadn't those customers agreed to accept the surge price when they ordered the ride?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[Passengers] are \u003ca href=\"http://thegrio.com/2016/01/03/ubers-new-years-eve-surge-pricing-outrages-passengers-worldwide/\" target=\"_blank\">still mad\u003c/a>, even though they know in advance,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hammad said passengers who had to fork over during a surge also tended to give him a lower rating. Uber drivers must maintain a 4.6 passenger rating or be \u003ca href=\"http://observer.com/2015/02/uber-drivers-the-punishment-for-bad-ratings-is-costly-training-courses/\" target=\"_blank\">suspended from driving\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kelly Dessaint, 44, who chronicles his \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfexaminer.com/author/k_dessaint/\" target=\"_blank\">adventures as a cab driver\u003c/a> for the San Francisco Examiner, started his professional driving career working for Uber and Lyft in 2014. But he quit early last year, went to taxi school, and has been driving for National Veterans Cab in San Francisco since February. He says he likes the feeling of community among cab drivers and that he makes more money driving a taxi than he did for Uber and Lyft.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You’re doing all these $5 rides, you’re not getting tipped,” he said about driving for the ride services. “With a cab you can talk it up and people will tip you really well.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber doesn’t \u003ca href=\"http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/10/21/55137/uber-tips-policy-causing-confusion-possibly-lower/\">allow tipping\u003c/a>, and Dessaint says \"you can tip on Lyft but nobody does. It’s so rare.” (Lyft says passengers collectively \u003ca href=\"http://thehub.lyft.com/blog/2015-highlights-for-drivers?utm_medium=Email&utm_source=ExactTarget&utm_campaign=82821259\" target=\"_blank\">gave more than $40 million in tips\u003c/a> to its 100,000 drivers in 2015. That's an average of $400 for each driver.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kelley, of the San Francisco Taxi School, believes that ride-service drivers who do the math discover that after maintenance and depreciation on their vehicle, they can do better driving a cab, which hasn't always been the case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"If you go back two years ago, it used to be pretty profitable to drive for [the ride services],\" he said. \"It’s just not anymore.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A price war between Uber and Lyft has contributed to a \u003ca href=\"http://fortune.com/2014/05/28/in-price-wars-some-uber-and-lyft-drivers-feel-the-crunch/\" target=\"_blank\">decline in driver pay\u003c/a>. Michael Banko, for instance, who has been driving for Lyft in San Francisco since 2012, said the lower rates that Lyft now charges have cut his driving income in half. He did say, however, that he gets tips from passengers “all the time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How Much Do Ride Service Drivers Really Make? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nobody has really figured out, empirically, whether taxi or TNC (transportation network company) drivers make more money. Early last year, Uber released data that showed their drivers having the advantage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"A lot of former taxi drivers have decided they wanted to work for themselves and become self-employed,” the company wrote in an April 2015 \u003ca href=\"https://newsroom.uber.com/taxi-driver-jobs-vs-driving-with-uber/\">Uber Newsroom post\u003c/a>. \"These ex-taxicab drivers are choosing Uber because they like making more money and having a much more flexible schedule.” The post included this graphic: \u003cimg class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10815071\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/uberEarnings.jpg\" alt=\"uberEarnings\" width=\"788\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/uberEarnings.jpg 788w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/uberEarnings-400x266.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/uberEarnings-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 788px) 100vw, 788px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That $19.04 per hour figure comes from a \u003ca href=\"http://www.bsgco.com/insights/uber-the-driver-roadmap\" target=\"_blank\">December 2014 survey\u003c/a> by Benenson Strategy Group of 601 Uber \"driver partners\" in 20 markets. An Uber \u003ca href=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/uber-static/comms/PDF/Uber_Driver-Partners_Hall_Kreuger_2015.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">analysis\u003c/a>, put together in conjunction with economist Alan B. Krueger, also cited data in a \u003ca href=\"http://stats.bls.gov/oes/2013/may/oes533041.htm\" target=\"_blank\">May 2013 Occupational Employment Statistics Survey\u003c/a> by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to show that taxi and limo drivers in six key markets made a median wage of $12.90 per hour, compared with Uber drivers' $19.19. But the Uber earnings figures \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/01/22/the-missing-data-point-from-ubers-driver-analysis-how-far-they-drive/\" target=\"_blank\">do not subtract the cost of gas, insurance and other expenses, like repairs\u003c/a>. (Newsweek \u003ca href=\"http://www.newsweek.com/thousands-drivers-declined-take-uber-survey-which-claims-78-drivers-satisfied-301252\" target=\"_blank\">also noted \u003c/a>that Uber price cuts went into effect soon after the survey. )\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A similar survey released by Uber last month notably didn't address \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Uber-survey-highlights-driver-happiness-ignores-6676872.php\" target=\"_blank\">how much\u003c/a> drivers make.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another data point: In September and October 2015, Sherpashare, a company that helps ride-service drivers track their earnings, surveyed 963 Uber and Lyft drivers. You can see self-reported gross income in this \u003ca href=\"https://www.sherpashare.com/share/the-top-demographic-trends-of-the-on-demand-workforce-appendix/\" target=\"_blank\">chart\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The data found a big discrepancy in earnings between drivers over and under 55. Those who worked 31 to 40 hours per week and were 55 or under made an average of $2,162 gross per month, while those over 55 made $1,662.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another \u003ca href=\"https://www.sherpashare.com/share/what-uber-lyft-drivers-earn-per-trip/\" target=\"_blank\">SherpaShare study\u003c/a>, “based on millions of UberX and Lyft trips tracked by drivers on the SherpaShare platform,” reported the average gross earnings per trip in May 2015 for each company in major cities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In San Francisco, the average trip earned UberX drivers -- and again, these are gross earnings --- $14.65. Lyft drivers grossed $13.42 a trip.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And yet another set of numbers: \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/11/16/california-regulators-offer-a-tiny-glimpse-of-data-from-uber-and-lyft\" target=\"_blank\">Aggregated data for all ride-service trips\u003c/a> in California presented at a Nov. 5 meeting of the California Public Utilities Commission and obtained by KQED combine stats submitted by UberX, Lyft, Sidecar, Summon, Wings and Shuddle. It shows the distribution of rides by the amount that passengers paid over 2014-15. Almost half of all fares were under $10, with an additional 23 percent between $10 to $15. A driver's share would be less than that after Uber and Lyft took their cut.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes533041.htm\" target=\"_blank\">May 2014 Occupational Employment Statistics Survey\u003c/a> found 178,000 cab drivers and chauffeurs in the country made an average of almost $26,000, or $12.35 per hour. In California, the average was $28,190 and $13.56 per hour.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>A Former Cab Driver Who Loves Uber\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In response to taxi driver Abdallah Hammad's negative experience driving for Uber, company spokeswoman Eva Behrend referred me to current UberX driver Tammy Johnson, of East Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Johnson, 38, told me she loves working for Uber, after driving for cab companies in San Leandro and Walnut Creek, where she experienced \"harassment in different forms. Everyone trying to hit on you.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Financial concerns also compelled her to switch. In general, every time taxi drivers go out on a shift, there's a chance they'll actually \u003cem>lose\u003c/em> money, because most of them lease their vehicles from the cab companies. Combine that with the cost of gas, and drivers start every shift in the hole. Johnson says that at least five times she didn't make enough money in fares to cover her daily costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She also said there was \"too much favoritism. Family members and insiders got the best calls.\" She felt compelled to buy dispatchers lunch or a bottle of wine to gain favor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To be sure, the taxi industry has long had a reputation as a place where drivers \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2013/12/11/taxi-drivers-and-whos-taking-money-out-of-their-pockets\" target=\"_blank\">have to pay cab company employees\u003c/a>. The San Francisco Transportation Code prohibits these payments, which some in the industry call tips, and others refer to as bribes, but the rule is unenforced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the amounts may seem small, they can add up. For example, John Han, a longtime San Francisco cab driver, told me he switched back to working at Yellow Cab in part because dispatchers at another company, which he didn't want to name, were demanding a total of $10 per day instead of the $6 he had been paying at Yellow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Drivers are generally split over the fairness of this tipping system -- some don't mind, some say it's onerous. Either way, even $10 a day over the course of a year can easily add up to a couple of thousand dollars in a job that doesn't pay much to begin with. In 2014, one cab driver I talked to told me he was quitting to go to work for a ride service specifically because of having to pay taxi dispatchers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>New Taxi Meters: Leveling the Playing Field?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last month, California's Division of Measurement Standards \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Flywheel-aims-to-replace-taxi-meters-with-6713925.php\" target=\"_blank\">approved TaxiOS\u003c/a> from Redwood City's Flywheel, a new GPS-based taxicab metering system. That's the same Flywheel that enables passengers to request cabs, track their location and pay, all via smartphones, just like Uber and Lyft.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Flywheel says about 80 percent of San Francisco cabs now accept calls from its app. The requests go out to every taxi that uses the system regardless of which company they work for.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Susan Shaheen, co-director of the \u003ca href=\"http://tsrc.berkeley.edu/\" target=\"_blank\">Transportation Sustainability Research Center\u003c/a> at UC Berkeley, last month \u003ca href=\"https://soundcloud.com/kqed/california-allows-smartphone-metered-taxis\" target=\"_blank\">told KQED's Mina Kim\u003c/a> that TaxiOS, which works with Android phones, will add \"an additional layer of flexibility to the taxi industry,\" allowing fare-splitting among customers and dynamic prices based on demand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[soundcloud url=\"https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/238752982\" params=\"color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" iframe=\"true\" /]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hansu Kim -- who likes Flywheel's e-hailing system so much he \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/DeSoto-S-F-s-oldest-taxi-firm-rebrands-6087480.php\" target=\"_blank\">renamed his company\u003c/a> after it -- thinks the new TaxiOS meters will further enable cabbies to compete with Uber and Lyft drivers. About 50 Flywheel cabs participated in a recent two-month pilot program of the new meters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kim believes the abundance of San Francisco cabs that have adopted Flywheel's convenient e-hailing system leaves Uber and Lyft with the sole advantage of lower prices. He says the new meters will offer his drivers the ability to compete on cost, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"With our [new] system we can now go to lower rates, more competitive rates ... where they’re appropriate,\" he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Flywheel -- the smartphone platform, not the cab company -- will create an algorithm that lowers prices when demand is low, Kim said. Those calls will be offered to cab drivers, who can decide whether to take them or not.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cabs will still not be able to charge more during periods of high demand, as Uber has \u003ca href=\"http://bgr.com/2016/01/04/new-years-eve-uber-surge-pricing-reactions/\" target=\"_blank\">notoriously done\u003c/a>, because the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has to approve any higher fares. However, Kim says, customers can lure cabs when they appear to be scarce through a pre-tipping component on the Flywheel app.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"A passenger through their app can say I’m going to tip you 10 bucks, or 20 percent, and that creates a tremendous incentive for someone to ... go pick up that fare.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kim said TaxiOS will also allow him to offer drivers a \"split meter system,\" in which the problem that former cab driver Tammy Johnson described -- leasing a cab and then not making enough money to cover the cost of the rental -- wouldn't be a risk, because the cab company will take only a portion of what the driver makes, the same business model that Uber and Lyft use.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I need to be able to lease vehicles to drivers who want to drive just a few hours a week part time,\" Kim said. \"So the traditional payment system, where you pay a lease for a cab for a certain amount of time, that needs to change.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The two taxi drivers I spoke to about the new TaxiOS meters were less than enthusiastic, if not downright suspicious.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Ultimately, the new Flywheel meters are fixing a problem that doesn’t exist,\" said Kelly Dessaint. He said his customers already split fares and negotiate for lower fares on slow nights. And he considers the algorithmic ability to decrease prices to be a bug, not a feature.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It becomes a race to the bottom,\" he said. \"And that's how Uber and Lyft screw their drivers.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(Uber has \u003ca href=\"https://newsroom.uber.com/beating-the-winter-slump-price-cuts-for-riders-with-guaranteed-earnings-for-drivers/\" target=\"_blank\">claimed\u003c/a> drivers actually make more in \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/uber_PriceCuts_BlogInfographic-01.png\" target=\"_blank\">some cities\u003c/a> under the price cuts.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>John Han, who drives for Yellow Cab, echoed Dessaint's concern.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think that’s just participating in a race to the bottom,\" Han said. \"I don't want to compete for these lesser fares. It would be another reason to hand in my keys as a taxi driver.\"\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>As you will quickly discover if you ask your cab driver what he or she thinks about Uber and Lyft, those who work in the taxi industry consider the ride-service companies to be four-letter words of another order.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, over the past few years, San Francisco taxi companies have had trouble filling their shifts. That's because drivers have jumped ship to work for the upstarts, and new drivers entering the profession have opted for the ride services as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Examiner reported on Wednesday that Yellow Cab, the largest taxi company in the city, \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfexaminer.com/yellow-cab-to-file-for-bankruptcy/\" target=\"_blank\">will soon file for bankruptcy\u003c/a> in order to restructure its business.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"On background, multiple sources told the Examiner that cab companies are having a tough time hiring competent drivers and may be hiring drivers with spotty driving records,\" the paper said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet, there are other drivers who have taken the opposite route, going from Uber and Lyft to driving a cab.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mickey Kelley operates the San Francisco Taxi School, which offers prospective cab drivers the courses they must take to get licensed. Classes range from five to 15 students each week. He estimates that from one-third to one-half of his students over the last six months have been former Uber and Lyft drivers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It started longer than six months ago, but about six months ago it really picked up,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of those were former cab drivers who had let their licenses expire when they moved on to the ride-service companies but now wanted to return to taxi work, Kelley says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We’ve had cab drivers that quit driving a cab [to work for a ride-service firm], and a lot of those guys have come back and had to drive a cab again,“ he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hansu Kim, owner of Flywheel Cab, said he's seen the same thing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re seeing a stream of UberX and Lyft drivers looking to drive a taxi now,\" Kim said. \"It used to be a trickle, now it’s more of a stream. Not the floodgates, yet.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Flywheel referred me to Abdallah Hammad, 49, who has been driving for the company for about three years. To supplement his income, he drove on the side for both Uber and Lyft for about a year, but stopped around seven or eight months ago. The main reason: the extra cost and \"wear and tear\" of using his own car to do business.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(Note: Ride-service drivers can get partial relief from this expense by using the standard mileage-rate deduction on their tax returns.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hammad said that twice during Uber calls, customers became angry at the inflated fares they had to pay during a \u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/search?q=surge+pricing+ube\" target=\"_blank\">surge pricing period\u003c/a> and slammed his car door so hard he had to have his automatic windows repaired.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But hadn't those customers agreed to accept the surge price when they ordered the ride?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[Passengers] are \u003ca href=\"http://thegrio.com/2016/01/03/ubers-new-years-eve-surge-pricing-outrages-passengers-worldwide/\" target=\"_blank\">still mad\u003c/a>, even though they know in advance,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hammad said passengers who had to fork over during a surge also tended to give him a lower rating. Uber drivers must maintain a 4.6 passenger rating or be \u003ca href=\"http://observer.com/2015/02/uber-drivers-the-punishment-for-bad-ratings-is-costly-training-courses/\" target=\"_blank\">suspended from driving\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kelly Dessaint, 44, who chronicles his \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfexaminer.com/author/k_dessaint/\" target=\"_blank\">adventures as a cab driver\u003c/a> for the San Francisco Examiner, started his professional driving career working for Uber and Lyft in 2014. But he quit early last year, went to taxi school, and has been driving for National Veterans Cab in San Francisco since February. He says he likes the feeling of community among cab drivers and that he makes more money driving a taxi than he did for Uber and Lyft.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You’re doing all these $5 rides, you’re not getting tipped,” he said about driving for the ride services. “With a cab you can talk it up and people will tip you really well.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber doesn’t \u003ca href=\"http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/10/21/55137/uber-tips-policy-causing-confusion-possibly-lower/\">allow tipping\u003c/a>, and Dessaint says \"you can tip on Lyft but nobody does. It’s so rare.” (Lyft says passengers collectively \u003ca href=\"http://thehub.lyft.com/blog/2015-highlights-for-drivers?utm_medium=Email&utm_source=ExactTarget&utm_campaign=82821259\" target=\"_blank\">gave more than $40 million in tips\u003c/a> to its 100,000 drivers in 2015. That's an average of $400 for each driver.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kelley, of the San Francisco Taxi School, believes that ride-service drivers who do the math discover that after maintenance and depreciation on their vehicle, they can do better driving a cab, which hasn't always been the case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"If you go back two years ago, it used to be pretty profitable to drive for [the ride services],\" he said. \"It’s just not anymore.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A price war between Uber and Lyft has contributed to a \u003ca href=\"http://fortune.com/2014/05/28/in-price-wars-some-uber-and-lyft-drivers-feel-the-crunch/\" target=\"_blank\">decline in driver pay\u003c/a>. Michael Banko, for instance, who has been driving for Lyft in San Francisco since 2012, said the lower rates that Lyft now charges have cut his driving income in half. He did say, however, that he gets tips from passengers “all the time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How Much Do Ride Service Drivers Really Make? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nobody has really figured out, empirically, whether taxi or TNC (transportation network company) drivers make more money. Early last year, Uber released data that showed their drivers having the advantage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"A lot of former taxi drivers have decided they wanted to work for themselves and become self-employed,” the company wrote in an April 2015 \u003ca href=\"https://newsroom.uber.com/taxi-driver-jobs-vs-driving-with-uber/\">Uber Newsroom post\u003c/a>. \"These ex-taxicab drivers are choosing Uber because they like making more money and having a much more flexible schedule.” The post included this graphic: \u003cimg class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10815071\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/uberEarnings.jpg\" alt=\"uberEarnings\" width=\"788\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/uberEarnings.jpg 788w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/uberEarnings-400x266.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/uberEarnings-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 788px) 100vw, 788px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That $19.04 per hour figure comes from a \u003ca href=\"http://www.bsgco.com/insights/uber-the-driver-roadmap\" target=\"_blank\">December 2014 survey\u003c/a> by Benenson Strategy Group of 601 Uber \"driver partners\" in 20 markets. An Uber \u003ca href=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/uber-static/comms/PDF/Uber_Driver-Partners_Hall_Kreuger_2015.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">analysis\u003c/a>, put together in conjunction with economist Alan B. Krueger, also cited data in a \u003ca href=\"http://stats.bls.gov/oes/2013/may/oes533041.htm\" target=\"_blank\">May 2013 Occupational Employment Statistics Survey\u003c/a> by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to show that taxi and limo drivers in six key markets made a median wage of $12.90 per hour, compared with Uber drivers' $19.19. But the Uber earnings figures \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/01/22/the-missing-data-point-from-ubers-driver-analysis-how-far-they-drive/\" target=\"_blank\">do not subtract the cost of gas, insurance and other expenses, like repairs\u003c/a>. (Newsweek \u003ca href=\"http://www.newsweek.com/thousands-drivers-declined-take-uber-survey-which-claims-78-drivers-satisfied-301252\" target=\"_blank\">also noted \u003c/a>that Uber price cuts went into effect soon after the survey. )\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A similar survey released by Uber last month notably didn't address \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Uber-survey-highlights-driver-happiness-ignores-6676872.php\" target=\"_blank\">how much\u003c/a> drivers make.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another data point: In September and October 2015, Sherpashare, a company that helps ride-service drivers track their earnings, surveyed 963 Uber and Lyft drivers. You can see self-reported gross income in this \u003ca href=\"https://www.sherpashare.com/share/the-top-demographic-trends-of-the-on-demand-workforce-appendix/\" target=\"_blank\">chart\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The data found a big discrepancy in earnings between drivers over and under 55. Those who worked 31 to 40 hours per week and were 55 or under made an average of $2,162 gross per month, while those over 55 made $1,662.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another \u003ca href=\"https://www.sherpashare.com/share/what-uber-lyft-drivers-earn-per-trip/\" target=\"_blank\">SherpaShare study\u003c/a>, “based on millions of UberX and Lyft trips tracked by drivers on the SherpaShare platform,” reported the average gross earnings per trip in May 2015 for each company in major cities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In San Francisco, the average trip earned UberX drivers -- and again, these are gross earnings --- $14.65. Lyft drivers grossed $13.42 a trip.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And yet another set of numbers: \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/11/16/california-regulators-offer-a-tiny-glimpse-of-data-from-uber-and-lyft\" target=\"_blank\">Aggregated data for all ride-service trips\u003c/a> in California presented at a Nov. 5 meeting of the California Public Utilities Commission and obtained by KQED combine stats submitted by UberX, Lyft, Sidecar, Summon, Wings and Shuddle. It shows the distribution of rides by the amount that passengers paid over 2014-15. Almost half of all fares were under $10, with an additional 23 percent between $10 to $15. A driver's share would be less than that after Uber and Lyft took their cut.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes533041.htm\" target=\"_blank\">May 2014 Occupational Employment Statistics Survey\u003c/a> found 178,000 cab drivers and chauffeurs in the country made an average of almost $26,000, or $12.35 per hour. In California, the average was $28,190 and $13.56 per hour.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>A Former Cab Driver Who Loves Uber\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In response to taxi driver Abdallah Hammad's negative experience driving for Uber, company spokeswoman Eva Behrend referred me to current UberX driver Tammy Johnson, of East Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Johnson, 38, told me she loves working for Uber, after driving for cab companies in San Leandro and Walnut Creek, where she experienced \"harassment in different forms. Everyone trying to hit on you.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Financial concerns also compelled her to switch. In general, every time taxi drivers go out on a shift, there's a chance they'll actually \u003cem>lose\u003c/em> money, because most of them lease their vehicles from the cab companies. Combine that with the cost of gas, and drivers start every shift in the hole. Johnson says that at least five times she didn't make enough money in fares to cover her daily costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She also said there was \"too much favoritism. Family members and insiders got the best calls.\" She felt compelled to buy dispatchers lunch or a bottle of wine to gain favor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To be sure, the taxi industry has long had a reputation as a place where drivers \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2013/12/11/taxi-drivers-and-whos-taking-money-out-of-their-pockets\" target=\"_blank\">have to pay cab company employees\u003c/a>. The San Francisco Transportation Code prohibits these payments, which some in the industry call tips, and others refer to as bribes, but the rule is unenforced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the amounts may seem small, they can add up. For example, John Han, a longtime San Francisco cab driver, told me he switched back to working at Yellow Cab in part because dispatchers at another company, which he didn't want to name, were demanding a total of $10 per day instead of the $6 he had been paying at Yellow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Drivers are generally split over the fairness of this tipping system -- some don't mind, some say it's onerous. Either way, even $10 a day over the course of a year can easily add up to a couple of thousand dollars in a job that doesn't pay much to begin with. In 2014, one cab driver I talked to told me he was quitting to go to work for a ride service specifically because of having to pay taxi dispatchers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>New Taxi Meters: Leveling the Playing Field?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last month, California's Division of Measurement Standards \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Flywheel-aims-to-replace-taxi-meters-with-6713925.php\" target=\"_blank\">approved TaxiOS\u003c/a> from Redwood City's Flywheel, a new GPS-based taxicab metering system. That's the same Flywheel that enables passengers to request cabs, track their location and pay, all via smartphones, just like Uber and Lyft.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Flywheel says about 80 percent of San Francisco cabs now accept calls from its app. The requests go out to every taxi that uses the system regardless of which company they work for.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Susan Shaheen, co-director of the \u003ca href=\"http://tsrc.berkeley.edu/\" target=\"_blank\">Transportation Sustainability Research Center\u003c/a> at UC Berkeley, last month \u003ca href=\"https://soundcloud.com/kqed/california-allows-smartphone-metered-taxis\" target=\"_blank\">told KQED's Mina Kim\u003c/a> that TaxiOS, which works with Android phones, will add \"an additional layer of flexibility to the taxi industry,\" allowing fare-splitting among customers and dynamic prices based on demand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cdiv class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__shortcodes__shortcodeWrapper'>\n \u003ciframe width='100%' height='166'\n scrolling='no' frameborder='no'\n src='https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/238752982&visual=true&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false'\n title='https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/238752982'>\n \u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/div>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hansu Kim -- who likes Flywheel's e-hailing system so much he \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/DeSoto-S-F-s-oldest-taxi-firm-rebrands-6087480.php\" target=\"_blank\">renamed his company\u003c/a> after it -- thinks the new TaxiOS meters will further enable cabbies to compete with Uber and Lyft drivers. About 50 Flywheel cabs participated in a recent two-month pilot program of the new meters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kim believes the abundance of San Francisco cabs that have adopted Flywheel's convenient e-hailing system leaves Uber and Lyft with the sole advantage of lower prices. He says the new meters will offer his drivers the ability to compete on cost, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"With our [new] system we can now go to lower rates, more competitive rates ... where they’re appropriate,\" he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Flywheel -- the smartphone platform, not the cab company -- will create an algorithm that lowers prices when demand is low, Kim said. Those calls will be offered to cab drivers, who can decide whether to take them or not.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cabs will still not be able to charge more during periods of high demand, as Uber has \u003ca href=\"http://bgr.com/2016/01/04/new-years-eve-uber-surge-pricing-reactions/\" target=\"_blank\">notoriously done\u003c/a>, because the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has to approve any higher fares. However, Kim says, customers can lure cabs when they appear to be scarce through a pre-tipping component on the Flywheel app.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"A passenger through their app can say I’m going to tip you 10 bucks, or 20 percent, and that creates a tremendous incentive for someone to ... go pick up that fare.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kim said TaxiOS will also allow him to offer drivers a \"split meter system,\" in which the problem that former cab driver Tammy Johnson described -- leasing a cab and then not making enough money to cover the cost of the rental -- wouldn't be a risk, because the cab company will take only a portion of what the driver makes, the same business model that Uber and Lyft use.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I need to be able to lease vehicles to drivers who want to drive just a few hours a week part time,\" Kim said. \"So the traditional payment system, where you pay a lease for a cab for a certain amount of time, that needs to change.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The two taxi drivers I spoke to about the new TaxiOS meters were less than enthusiastic, if not downright suspicious.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Ultimately, the new Flywheel meters are fixing a problem that doesn’t exist,\" said Kelly Dessaint. He said his customers already split fares and negotiate for lower fares on slow nights. And he considers the algorithmic ability to decrease prices to be a bug, not a feature.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It becomes a race to the bottom,\" he said. \"And that's how Uber and Lyft screw their drivers.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(Uber has \u003ca href=\"https://newsroom.uber.com/beating-the-winter-slump-price-cuts-for-riders-with-guaranteed-earnings-for-drivers/\" target=\"_blank\">claimed\u003c/a> drivers actually make more in \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/uber_PriceCuts_BlogInfographic-01.png\" target=\"_blank\">some cities\u003c/a> under the price cuts.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>John Han, who drives for Yellow Cab, echoed Dessaint's concern.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think that’s just participating in a race to the bottom,\" Han said. \"I don't want to compete for these lesser fares. It would be another reason to hand in my keys as a taxi driver.\"\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>DETROIT — General Motors and San Francisco-based ride-hailing company Lyft are forming a partnership they say could help them beat their rivals to the self-driving future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyft said Monday that GM invested $500 million in the company as part of a $1 billion round of fundraising.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>GM gets a seat on Lyft's board and access to the 3-year-old company's software, which matches riders with drivers and automates payments. It also becomes a preferred vehicle provider, with the chance to get many more people behind the wheel of a Chevrolet, Buick, GMC or Cadillac.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyft gets the expertise of a 108-year-old automaker with decades of experience in making connected and autonomous vehicles. Detroit-based GM also has an enviable global reach; it sells almost 10 million cars each year in more than 100 countries. Lyft operates in 190 U.S. cities, although it recently formed partnerships with ride-sharing services in China and India.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Together, the companies plan to open a network of U.S. hubs where Lyft drivers can rent GM vehicles. That could expand Lyft's business by giving people who don't own cars a way to drive and earn money through Lyft. It will also give GM a leg up on competitors like Daimler AG and Ford Motor Co., which are developing their own ride-sharing services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Longer term, GM and Lyft will work together to develop a fleet of autonomous vehicles that city dwellers could summon using Lyft's mobile app. Partnering with GM could give Lyft a boost over its arch-rival, Uber Technologies Inc., which is working on its own driverless cars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyft President John Zimmer and GM President Dan Ammann say the two companies began serious discussions about three months ago. Both see big changes coming in the traditional model of car ownership, and they had similar ideas about how to address it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It felt very natural very quickly,\" Zimmer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ammann said the resulting partnership is unlike any other in the auto and tech industries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Do we want to deploy the resources and people to do everything ourselves, or get there faster by working in partnership?\" Ammann said. \"We see a really compelling, complementary set of capabilities.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Following its latest round of fundraising — which also included a $100 million investment from Saudi Arabia's Kingdom Holding Co. — privately held Lyft set its value at $5.5 billion. The company expects revenue of around $1 billion this year. By comparison, GM is valued at $53 billion and earned $153 billion in revenue in 2014.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But neither company can afford to rest. Uber's value could soon surpass GM's, and newcomers like Apple and Google are also eager to disrupt the traditional auto industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We see the world of mobility changing more in the next five years than it has in the last 50,\" Ammann said.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>DETROIT — General Motors and San Francisco-based ride-hailing company Lyft are forming a partnership they say could help them beat their rivals to the self-driving future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyft said Monday that GM invested $500 million in the company as part of a $1 billion round of fundraising.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>GM gets a seat on Lyft's board and access to the 3-year-old company's software, which matches riders with drivers and automates payments. It also becomes a preferred vehicle provider, with the chance to get many more people behind the wheel of a Chevrolet, Buick, GMC or Cadillac.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyft gets the expertise of a 108-year-old automaker with decades of experience in making connected and autonomous vehicles. Detroit-based GM also has an enviable global reach; it sells almost 10 million cars each year in more than 100 countries. Lyft operates in 190 U.S. cities, although it recently formed partnerships with ride-sharing services in China and India.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Together, the companies plan to open a network of U.S. hubs where Lyft drivers can rent GM vehicles. That could expand Lyft's business by giving people who don't own cars a way to drive and earn money through Lyft. It will also give GM a leg up on competitors like Daimler AG and Ford Motor Co., which are developing their own ride-sharing services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Longer term, GM and Lyft will work together to develop a fleet of autonomous vehicles that city dwellers could summon using Lyft's mobile app. Partnering with GM could give Lyft a boost over its arch-rival, Uber Technologies Inc., which is working on its own driverless cars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyft President John Zimmer and GM President Dan Ammann say the two companies began serious discussions about three months ago. Both see big changes coming in the traditional model of car ownership, and they had similar ideas about how to address it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It felt very natural very quickly,\" Zimmer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ammann said the resulting partnership is unlike any other in the auto and tech industries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Do we want to deploy the resources and people to do everything ourselves, or get there faster by working in partnership?\" Ammann said. \"We see a really compelling, complementary set of capabilities.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Following its latest round of fundraising — which also included a $100 million investment from Saudi Arabia's Kingdom Holding Co. — privately held Lyft set its value at $5.5 billion. The company expects revenue of around $1 billion this year. By comparison, GM is valued at $53 billion and earned $153 billion in revenue in 2014.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But neither company can afford to rest. Uber's value could soon surpass GM's, and newcomers like Apple and Google are also eager to disrupt the traditional auto industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We see the world of mobility changing more in the next five years than it has in the last 50,\" Ammann said.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"disqusTitle": "Sidecar, Onetime Uber Competitor, to Shut Down New Year's Eve",
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"content": "\u003cp>It's the end of the road for Sidecar. The ride-service company's co-founders announced today it would cease operations on New Year's Eve.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At one point, Sidecar -- along with Uber and Lyft -- was one of the Big 3 ride-hailing firms. When we \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2013/11/07/taxis-lyft-ride-service-war-on-streets-of-san-francisco\" target=\"_blank\">first started covering the industry\u003c/a> in November 2013, we spoke to a driver who said he made an average of $30 an hour driving 20-25 hours per week for the company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I just had my 1,000th ride this year and I love it,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the good times didn't last. In 2014 I talked to one driver who simultaneously worked for all three companies; he said he received nary a customer from Sidecar over a weeklong period. Eventually, the media stopped mentioning the company alongside Uber and Lyft.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today Sidecar co-founders Sunil Paul and Jahan Khanna said in a \u003ca href=\"https://medium.com/@SunilPaul/so-long-sidecar-and-thanks-74c8a0955064#.nfaz9z4oh\" target=\"_blank\">post on Medium\u003c/a> that the company would end both its ride and \u003ca href=\"https://www.side.cr/delivery/\" target=\"_blank\">delivery service\u003c/a>, the latter of which it \u003ca href=\"http://www.geekwire.com/2015/packages-people-sidecar-launches-day-delivery-service-partners-eat24/\" target=\"_blank\">launched in February\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Today is a turning point for Sidecar as we prepare to end our ride and delivery service so we can work on strategic alternatives and lay the groundwork for the next big thing,\" Paul and Khanna wrote. \"We will cease ride and delivery operations at 2 p.m. Pacific Time, December 31.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Perhaps it's an indication of just how little business Sidecar was doing that it will terminate its ride-service hours before the rush of New Year's Eve, perhaps the biggest transportation-for-hire night of the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paul and Khanna did not specify what \"the next big thing\" might be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"This is the end of the road for the Sidecar ride and delivery service,\" they wrote, \"but it’s by no means the end of the journey for the company.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After beta testing in San Francisco in 2011, Sidecar formally \u003ca href=\"https://www.side.cr/sidecar-connects-drivers-and-passengers-one-ride-at-a-time/\" target=\"_blank\">launched in 2012\u003c/a>, portraying itself as \"the first on-demand rideshare community.\"\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>It's the end of the road for Sidecar. The ride-service company's co-founders announced today it would cease operations on New Year's Eve.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At one point, Sidecar -- along with Uber and Lyft -- was one of the Big 3 ride-hailing firms. When we \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2013/11/07/taxis-lyft-ride-service-war-on-streets-of-san-francisco\" target=\"_blank\">first started covering the industry\u003c/a> in November 2013, we spoke to a driver who said he made an average of $30 an hour driving 20-25 hours per week for the company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I just had my 1,000th ride this year and I love it,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the good times didn't last. In 2014 I talked to one driver who simultaneously worked for all three companies; he said he received nary a customer from Sidecar over a weeklong period. Eventually, the media stopped mentioning the company alongside Uber and Lyft.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today Sidecar co-founders Sunil Paul and Jahan Khanna said in a \u003ca href=\"https://medium.com/@SunilPaul/so-long-sidecar-and-thanks-74c8a0955064#.nfaz9z4oh\" target=\"_blank\">post on Medium\u003c/a> that the company would end both its ride and \u003ca href=\"https://www.side.cr/delivery/\" target=\"_blank\">delivery service\u003c/a>, the latter of which it \u003ca href=\"http://www.geekwire.com/2015/packages-people-sidecar-launches-day-delivery-service-partners-eat24/\" target=\"_blank\">launched in February\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Today is a turning point for Sidecar as we prepare to end our ride and delivery service so we can work on strategic alternatives and lay the groundwork for the next big thing,\" Paul and Khanna wrote. \"We will cease ride and delivery operations at 2 p.m. Pacific Time, December 31.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Perhaps it's an indication of just how little business Sidecar was doing that it will terminate its ride-service hours before the rush of New Year's Eve, perhaps the biggest transportation-for-hire night of the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paul and Khanna did not specify what \"the next big thing\" might be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"This is the end of the road for the Sidecar ride and delivery service,\" they wrote, \"but it’s by no means the end of the journey for the company.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After beta testing in San Francisco in 2011, Sidecar formally \u003ca href=\"https://www.side.cr/sidecar-connects-drivers-and-passengers-one-ride-at-a-time/\" target=\"_blank\">launched in 2012\u003c/a>, portraying itself as \"the first on-demand rideshare community.\"\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Seattle on Monday became the first city in the nation to allow drivers of ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft to unionize over pay and working conditions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supporters erupted into cheers after the City Council voted 8-0 in favor of the legislation, which is seen as a test case for the changing 21st century workforce. The companies strongly oppose it, and several council members acknowledged there would be legal challenges ahead but said it was worth doing.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">'My intent is to make sure that the people, the drivers, the workers in our community continue to have access to good wage jobs.'\u003ccite>Seattle Councilmember Mike O’Brien\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>The measure requires companies that hire or contract with drivers of taxis, for-hire transportation companies and app-based ride-hailing services to bargain with their drivers, if a majority shows they want to be represented. Drivers would be represented by nonprofit organizations certified by the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seattle has been a national leader on workers' rights, such as gradually raising the minimum wage to $15 and requiring most employers to provide paid sick leave.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"My intent is to make sure that the people, the drivers, the workers in our community continue to have access to good wage jobs,\" Councilmember Mike O'Brien said. He added innovation can continue to happen, but it shouldn't be done at the expense of workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many drivers in Seattle are immigrants who depend on full-time work, but some make less than minimum wage and lack basic worker rights, such as sick leave and protection from retaliation, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[contextly_sidebar id=\"cD4eZlRSX1eM0jcx1iHjlhmRNpBVcMSd\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The National Labor Relations Act does not extend collective bargaining rights to independent contractors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco-based Uber and others say federal labor law prevents cities from regulating collective bargaining, and the ordinance would violate federal antitrust laws. Opponents also argue it would be costly for the city to implement, it would violate drivers' privacy since their information would be given to the organization, and it would stifle the growth of the on-demand economy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a response to a request for a comment on the legislation, Uber said in a statement Monday it is \"creating new opportunities for many people to earn a better living on their own time and their own terms.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco-based Lyft urged the mayor and council to reconsider the measure and listen to those who seek the flexible economic opportunity the company offers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Unfortunately, the ordinance passed today threatens the privacy of drivers, imposes substantial costs on passengers and the city, and conflicts with longstanding federal law,\" Lyft's statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Charlotte Garden, an assistant law professor at Seattle University, said it's a \"virtual certainty\" that the ordinance will be challenged in court if it's enacted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I anticipate that other cities will consider similar measures, but they may wait to see whether the ordinance survives review by a federal court,\" she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Mayor Ed Murray told the council in a letter Monday that he supports the right of workers to unionize but has concerns about the bill. Murray worried about the unknown costs of administering the measure, the burden of rulemaking on city staff and the potential costs of defending it court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10794695\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/TNCDriver.jpg\" alt=\"Tevita Vainuku, 59, fiddles with his smartphone as he prepares to pick up his next Lyft customer on Aug. 31, 2015. Vainuku drives for Lyft and Uber six days a week.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1189\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10794695\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/TNCDriver.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/TNCDriver-400x248.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/TNCDriver-800x495.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/TNCDriver-768x476.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/TNCDriver-1440x892.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/TNCDriver-1180x731.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/TNCDriver-960x595.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tevita Vainuku, 59, fiddles with his smartphone as he prepares to pick up his next Lyft customer on Aug. 31, 2015. Vainuku drives for Lyft and Uber six days a week. \u003ccite>(Ericka Cruz Guevarra/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Uber has about 400,000 drivers nationwide with about 10,000 in Seattle. Its rival, Lyft, also has thousands of drivers in Seattle but declined to give a specific number.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Legal experts have been mixed on how the bill would be challenged in court, including whether the ordinance violates antitrust laws because it would allow drivers to get together and set rates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber is \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/12/10/uber-drivers-class-action-lawsuit-expanded\" target=\"_blank\">facing a class-action lawsuit\u003c/a> in federal court in California over worker classification. The plaintiffs named in the suit say they are Uber employees, not independent contractors, and have been shortchanged on expenses and tips.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber and Lyft say drivers have flexibility in deciding when they work and how many hours, and many chose to drive to supplement their income. But drivers don't have a say in rate changes, can be deactivated at will and don't have access to worker protections such as sick leave and minimum wage laws, Dawn Gearhart, a representative with Teamsters Local 117.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under the proposed ordinance, the city will give certified nonprofit organizations a list of eligible drivers at each company, and the groups must show that a majority of drivers of each company want representation. The organizations would then bargain on behalf of those drivers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"This is amazing,\" said Saad Melouchi, 30, who drives for Uber. \"I'm so happy for myself and for other drivers.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said he would like to bargain over safety, living wage and other issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some for-hire drivers who spoke at the public hearing urged the council to hold off on the legislation, saying they didn't have a voice in the process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Teamsters Union Local 117 also celebrated the vote, while the National Right To Work Legal Foundation criticized it as a violation of drivers' rights.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Seattle on Monday became the first city in the nation to allow drivers of ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft to unionize over pay and working conditions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supporters erupted into cheers after the City Council voted 8-0 in favor of the legislation, which is seen as a test case for the changing 21st century workforce. The companies strongly oppose it, and several council members acknowledged there would be legal challenges ahead but said it was worth doing.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">'My intent is to make sure that the people, the drivers, the workers in our community continue to have access to good wage jobs.'\u003ccite>Seattle Councilmember Mike O’Brien\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>The measure requires companies that hire or contract with drivers of taxis, for-hire transportation companies and app-based ride-hailing services to bargain with their drivers, if a majority shows they want to be represented. Drivers would be represented by nonprofit organizations certified by the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seattle has been a national leader on workers' rights, such as gradually raising the minimum wage to $15 and requiring most employers to provide paid sick leave.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"My intent is to make sure that the people, the drivers, the workers in our community continue to have access to good wage jobs,\" Councilmember Mike O'Brien said. He added innovation can continue to happen, but it shouldn't be done at the expense of workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many drivers in Seattle are immigrants who depend on full-time work, but some make less than minimum wage and lack basic worker rights, such as sick leave and protection from retaliation, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The National Labor Relations Act does not extend collective bargaining rights to independent contractors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco-based Uber and others say federal labor law prevents cities from regulating collective bargaining, and the ordinance would violate federal antitrust laws. Opponents also argue it would be costly for the city to implement, it would violate drivers' privacy since their information would be given to the organization, and it would stifle the growth of the on-demand economy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a response to a request for a comment on the legislation, Uber said in a statement Monday it is \"creating new opportunities for many people to earn a better living on their own time and their own terms.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco-based Lyft urged the mayor and council to reconsider the measure and listen to those who seek the flexible economic opportunity the company offers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Unfortunately, the ordinance passed today threatens the privacy of drivers, imposes substantial costs on passengers and the city, and conflicts with longstanding federal law,\" Lyft's statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Charlotte Garden, an assistant law professor at Seattle University, said it's a \"virtual certainty\" that the ordinance will be challenged in court if it's enacted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I anticipate that other cities will consider similar measures, but they may wait to see whether the ordinance survives review by a federal court,\" she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Mayor Ed Murray told the council in a letter Monday that he supports the right of workers to unionize but has concerns about the bill. Murray worried about the unknown costs of administering the measure, the burden of rulemaking on city staff and the potential costs of defending it court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10794695\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/TNCDriver.jpg\" alt=\"Tevita Vainuku, 59, fiddles with his smartphone as he prepares to pick up his next Lyft customer on Aug. 31, 2015. Vainuku drives for Lyft and Uber six days a week.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1189\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10794695\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/TNCDriver.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/TNCDriver-400x248.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/TNCDriver-800x495.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/TNCDriver-768x476.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/TNCDriver-1440x892.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/TNCDriver-1180x731.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/TNCDriver-960x595.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tevita Vainuku, 59, fiddles with his smartphone as he prepares to pick up his next Lyft customer on Aug. 31, 2015. Vainuku drives for Lyft and Uber six days a week. \u003ccite>(Ericka Cruz Guevarra/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Uber has about 400,000 drivers nationwide with about 10,000 in Seattle. Its rival, Lyft, also has thousands of drivers in Seattle but declined to give a specific number.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Legal experts have been mixed on how the bill would be challenged in court, including whether the ordinance violates antitrust laws because it would allow drivers to get together and set rates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber is \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/12/10/uber-drivers-class-action-lawsuit-expanded\" target=\"_blank\">facing a class-action lawsuit\u003c/a> in federal court in California over worker classification. The plaintiffs named in the suit say they are Uber employees, not independent contractors, and have been shortchanged on expenses and tips.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber and Lyft say drivers have flexibility in deciding when they work and how many hours, and many chose to drive to supplement their income. But drivers don't have a say in rate changes, can be deactivated at will and don't have access to worker protections such as sick leave and minimum wage laws, Dawn Gearhart, a representative with Teamsters Local 117.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under the proposed ordinance, the city will give certified nonprofit organizations a list of eligible drivers at each company, and the groups must show that a majority of drivers of each company want representation. The organizations would then bargain on behalf of those drivers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"This is amazing,\" said Saad Melouchi, 30, who drives for Uber. \"I'm so happy for myself and for other drivers.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said he would like to bargain over safety, living wage and other issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some for-hire drivers who spoke at the public hearing urged the council to hold off on the legislation, saying they didn't have a voice in the process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Teamsters Union Local 117 also celebrated the vote, while the National Right To Work Legal Foundation criticized it as a violation of drivers' rights.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"disqusTitle": "New California Data on Ride Services Reveal Rise in Collisions and Incidents",
"title": "New California Data on Ride Services Reveal Rise in Collisions and Incidents",
"headTitle": "The California Report | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>State regulators have analyzed and released a tiny glimpse of data submitted by Uber, Lyft and other companies -- information the firms have carefully guarded because they claim it would reveal trade secrets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A report on some of the data was presented at a Nov. 5th meeting of the California Public Utilities Commission. While the analysis doesn’t size up how transportation network companies (TNC) are complying with state regulations overall, it does provide a snapshot of the volume of trips and growth of ride services over the past two years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The aggregated data confirm steady month-by-month growth of transportation network companies in California, amounting to a total of 612.6 million miles driven over the two-year period from September 2013 to September 2015. Rides during that time generated about $1.6 billion in fares.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The numbers may sound large, but when compared with overall vehicle trips in California, they still represent a relatively small slice of the pie, according to Juan Matute, associate director of UCLA's Institute of Transportation Studies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report combines data from UberX, Lyft, Sidecar, Summon, Wings and Shuddle. It doesn’t include numbers that might tell how ride services are serving passengers with disabilities and people who live in disadvantaged communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The reason we didn’t provide charts on all the data [is] we’re still evaluating the data and communicating with some of the companies on some of the data issues,\" Valerie Kao of the CPUC's Safety and Enforcement Division told the commission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Collisions\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The numbers indicate collisions and incidents involving ride service drivers are climbing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"If it’s normalized by miles driven, you’d expect the number of incidents to be somewhat stable over time,\" said Matute. The increase is concerning, he said, \"because that would be indicative of TNCs being less safe as they scale up.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kao, the CPUC’s analyst, said most of the incidents were minor fender benders or rear-end collisions. The report listed the number of \"incidents/collisions\" involving pedestrians and bicyclists, though it did not highlight how many involved injuries or deaths.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than 300 of the “incidents” involved passengers opening doors into traffic. Ninety collisions were doorings of people on bikes, skateboards, motorcycles and scooters. The report counted 200 incidents where a bicyclist or pedestrian was \"struck,\" or \"made contact with\" or \"involved.\" And it added this detail: Drivers “rolled over” passengers’ feet 100 times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Currently, the report says, more than 30,000 new drivers are being trained every month by the TNCs, although Kao said that number is probably overstated because it doesn't reflect inactive drivers, or drivers who work for both Uber and Lyft, for example.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the meeting, Commissioner Catherine Sandoval, who noted that a driver once hit her while she was walking, said pedestrian and bicyclist safety training should be included.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think that having some training around this area would be very important. There are areas like San Francisco that are known hot zones for these collisions,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2013, an Uber driver was charged with vehicular manslaughter for hitting and killing 6-year-old \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/sophia-liu\">Sofia Liu\u003c/a> as she and her family were walking in a crosswalk on San Francisco’s Polk Street. In July, Uber settled a lawsuit with the Liu family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The data say Uber paid an average insurance amount of $6,500 per incident. It did not indicate fault in the incidents and collisions. CPUC officials did not immediately respond to questions about the data.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Evening Rides\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than 30 percent of all trips were taken in the evening, between 7 and 10 p.m., an indication that many are using the services for social outings, said Matute.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"People are using transportation network companies after the peak hours for transit service, when it's dark, when they might not feel comfortable bicycling,\" said Matute.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What was most interesting about the data to Matute was that 30 percent of rides were 3 miles and under, and nearly half of all trips cost $10 or less.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"That showed me that they were primarily trips where biking could have potentially been a viable option. They might be trips where transit wouldn't be a viable option,\" said Matute, who added it's also possible short trips may have combined transit and ride services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Uber 'Defied' Requirements\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of the data, according to regulators, was difficult to get from the largest transportation network company, Uber, which was threatened in July with suspension and a $7 million fine by an administrative law judge for failing to meet all the reporting requirements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When it came to submitting detailed data by Zip code, regulators say what Uber submitted was “useless” and “suffered from a serious lack of precision.” The company argued the data would reveal trade secrets, offering competitors clues on where to expand “without conducting market research.” CPUC representatives stressed in emails that they could not legally release the data.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber has since complied with all the data requirements, except for one, after it exhibited “outright defiance,” regulators alleged in September, in \u003ca href=\"http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M154/K658/154658066.PDF\" target=\"_blank\">a written response\u003c/a> to the company’s appeal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Regulators said Uber submitted explanations that weren’t adequate for analysts to identify the cause of certain incidents in its report on problems with drivers. But they agreed to suspend daily fines for Uber until the full commission provides guidance on “what constitutes an adequate explanation of ‘cause.’ ”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An administrative law judge is currently reviewing Uber's appeal, according to a CPUC spokesman.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>More Data Needed\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Experts say more data and even user surveys will be needed to assess what impact ride services are having on Californians' transportation habits and the environment. Transportation agencies, in particular, are eager to assess the data to see if ride services are causing people to shift modes, using it as the first and last mile to transit, among other things.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But so far, ride service companies and the CPUC have been slow to release useful data, though Lyft has released heat maps and other information to the San Francisco County Transportation Authority and the Southern California Association of Governments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe class=\"scribd_iframe_embed\" src=\"https://www.scribd.com/embeds/289290946/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&show_recommendations=true\" data-auto-height=\"false\" data-aspect-ratio=\"undefined\" scrolling=\"no\" id=\"doc_66440\" width=\"100%\" height=\"600\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>State regulators have analyzed and released a tiny glimpse of data submitted by Uber, Lyft and other companies -- information the firms have carefully guarded because they claim it would reveal trade secrets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A report on some of the data was presented at a Nov. 5th meeting of the California Public Utilities Commission. While the analysis doesn’t size up how transportation network companies (TNC) are complying with state regulations overall, it does provide a snapshot of the volume of trips and growth of ride services over the past two years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The aggregated data confirm steady month-by-month growth of transportation network companies in California, amounting to a total of 612.6 million miles driven over the two-year period from September 2013 to September 2015. Rides during that time generated about $1.6 billion in fares.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The numbers may sound large, but when compared with overall vehicle trips in California, they still represent a relatively small slice of the pie, according to Juan Matute, associate director of UCLA's Institute of Transportation Studies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report combines data from UberX, Lyft, Sidecar, Summon, Wings and Shuddle. It doesn’t include numbers that might tell how ride services are serving passengers with disabilities and people who live in disadvantaged communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The reason we didn’t provide charts on all the data [is] we’re still evaluating the data and communicating with some of the companies on some of the data issues,\" Valerie Kao of the CPUC's Safety and Enforcement Division told the commission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Collisions\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The numbers indicate collisions and incidents involving ride service drivers are climbing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"If it’s normalized by miles driven, you’d expect the number of incidents to be somewhat stable over time,\" said Matute. The increase is concerning, he said, \"because that would be indicative of TNCs being less safe as they scale up.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kao, the CPUC’s analyst, said most of the incidents were minor fender benders or rear-end collisions. The report listed the number of \"incidents/collisions\" involving pedestrians and bicyclists, though it did not highlight how many involved injuries or deaths.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than 300 of the “incidents” involved passengers opening doors into traffic. Ninety collisions were doorings of people on bikes, skateboards, motorcycles and scooters. The report counted 200 incidents where a bicyclist or pedestrian was \"struck,\" or \"made contact with\" or \"involved.\" And it added this detail: Drivers “rolled over” passengers’ feet 100 times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Currently, the report says, more than 30,000 new drivers are being trained every month by the TNCs, although Kao said that number is probably overstated because it doesn't reflect inactive drivers, or drivers who work for both Uber and Lyft, for example.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the meeting, Commissioner Catherine Sandoval, who noted that a driver once hit her while she was walking, said pedestrian and bicyclist safety training should be included.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think that having some training around this area would be very important. There are areas like San Francisco that are known hot zones for these collisions,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2013, an Uber driver was charged with vehicular manslaughter for hitting and killing 6-year-old \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/sophia-liu\">Sofia Liu\u003c/a> as she and her family were walking in a crosswalk on San Francisco’s Polk Street. In July, Uber settled a lawsuit with the Liu family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The data say Uber paid an average insurance amount of $6,500 per incident. It did not indicate fault in the incidents and collisions. CPUC officials did not immediately respond to questions about the data.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Evening Rides\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than 30 percent of all trips were taken in the evening, between 7 and 10 p.m., an indication that many are using the services for social outings, said Matute.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"People are using transportation network companies after the peak hours for transit service, when it's dark, when they might not feel comfortable bicycling,\" said Matute.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What was most interesting about the data to Matute was that 30 percent of rides were 3 miles and under, and nearly half of all trips cost $10 or less.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"That showed me that they were primarily trips where biking could have potentially been a viable option. They might be trips where transit wouldn't be a viable option,\" said Matute, who added it's also possible short trips may have combined transit and ride services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Uber 'Defied' Requirements\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of the data, according to regulators, was difficult to get from the largest transportation network company, Uber, which was threatened in July with suspension and a $7 million fine by an administrative law judge for failing to meet all the reporting requirements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When it came to submitting detailed data by Zip code, regulators say what Uber submitted was “useless” and “suffered from a serious lack of precision.” The company argued the data would reveal trade secrets, offering competitors clues on where to expand “without conducting market research.” CPUC representatives stressed in emails that they could not legally release the data.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber has since complied with all the data requirements, except for one, after it exhibited “outright defiance,” regulators alleged in September, in \u003ca href=\"http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M154/K658/154658066.PDF\" target=\"_blank\">a written response\u003c/a> to the company’s appeal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Regulators said Uber submitted explanations that weren’t adequate for analysts to identify the cause of certain incidents in its report on problems with drivers. But they agreed to suspend daily fines for Uber until the full commission provides guidance on “what constitutes an adequate explanation of ‘cause.’ ”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An administrative law judge is currently reviewing Uber's appeal, according to a CPUC spokesman.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>More Data Needed\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Experts say more data and even user surveys will be needed to assess what impact ride services are having on Californians' transportation habits and the environment. Transportation agencies, in particular, are eager to assess the data to see if ride services are causing people to shift modes, using it as the first and last mile to transit, among other things.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But so far, ride service companies and the CPUC have been slow to release useful data, though Lyft has released heat maps and other information to the San Francisco County Transportation Authority and the Southern California Association of Governments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe class=\"scribd_iframe_embed\" src=\"https://www.scribd.com/embeds/289290946/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&show_recommendations=true\" data-auto-height=\"false\" data-aspect-ratio=\"undefined\" scrolling=\"no\" id=\"doc_66440\" width=\"100%\" height=\"600\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated 3:15 p.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A reported attempted kidnapping by the driver of a Lyft car last night in San Francisco was a misunderstanding between the hard-of-hearing driver and his passenger, according to police, who say they're no longer investigating the incident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The driver picked up the woman on Corbett Avenue near Mars Street at around 11:20 p.m. Police Department spokesman Officer Albie Esparza said the woman jumped out of the car, a silver Nissan Quest, when the driver headed in the opposite direction of the one she'd requested. The woman suffered a broken ankle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Esparza said Friday afternoon that officers were able to reach the driver via TTY telephone -- a special telephone for the deaf.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"He never heard her say anything,\" Esparza said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The non-kidnapping was one of two incidents associated with ride-service firms that took place in the city overnight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the second overnight incident, a man carjacked an Uber driver in the city's Glen Park neighborhood early Friday morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Police said the Uber driver was picking up a passenger on Monterey Boulevard and Diamond Street around 3:20 a.m. when a man opened the driver door and ordered the driver and a passenger out of the white Toyota Prius. The suspect, described only as a black male in his 20s, drove off, police said.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated 3:15 p.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A reported attempted kidnapping by the driver of a Lyft car last night in San Francisco was a misunderstanding between the hard-of-hearing driver and his passenger, according to police, who say they're no longer investigating the incident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The driver picked up the woman on Corbett Avenue near Mars Street at around 11:20 p.m. Police Department spokesman Officer Albie Esparza said the woman jumped out of the car, a silver Nissan Quest, when the driver headed in the opposite direction of the one she'd requested. The woman suffered a broken ankle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Esparza said Friday afternoon that officers were able to reach the driver via TTY telephone -- a special telephone for the deaf.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"He never heard her say anything,\" Esparza said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"disqusTitle": "San Francisco Adopts Alcohol and Drug Testing for Taxi Drivers",
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"content": "\u003cp>San Francisco transportation officials adopted an alcohol and drug testing program for the city's 5,500 taxicab drivers Tuesday, but opted against complying with federal and state regulations that require drivers to be suspended if they test positive for marijuana.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency board of directors unanimously approved \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmta.com/sites/default/files/agendaitems/2015/10-20-15%20Item%2012%20Taxi%20Driver%20Drug%20and%20Alcohol%20Testing%20Policy.pdf\">the new policy\u003c/a>, but amended it so that drivers who do test positive for marijuana would keep their taxi permits if they show a valid medical marijuana recommendation from a doctor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under the policy, taxi drivers must submit to drug and alcohol tests when they apply for taxi permits, renew the permits annually or get in a collision. They'll also be tested in cases where there's a \"reasonable suspicion\" that they're inebriated or intoxicated, said Kate Toran, the head of the SFMTA's taxi services division. A positive drug or alcohol test could lead to a suspension or a driver's permit could be revoked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city has been out of compliance with state regulations adopted in 1996 that require alcohol and drug testing of taxicab drivers. The new policy, which took six years to craft, would put the city \"mostly in compliance,\" said Toran.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Several taxi drivers testified that the policy, as originally proposed, was another example of how the cab industry is competing on an uneven playing field with ride services such as Uber and Lyft.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Drivers for transportation network companies, regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission, are not required to undergo the same kind of substance abuse testing and don't have to comply with more stringent local regulations. Limousine drivers, also regulated by the CPUC, are required to undergo drug testing similar to the SFMTA's new program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an interview, Hansu Kim, CEO of Flywheel Taxi, said the marijuana component would have put up another barrier of entry for taxi drivers and would have potentially caused more taxi drivers to defect to Uber or Lyft.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"You have people driving for Uber and Lyft who don't have to go through that filter of accountability. That's what I worry about,\" said Kim, who added that he has never had a driver who's been arrested for marijuana impairment. \"We believe in drug testing, and we want to make sure our drivers are not taking hard drugs.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One taxi driver testified she uses medical marijuana for back pain and suspects many others use it to cope with similar ailments caused by driving for long periods of time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dale Gieringer, executive director of the California chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said the board should be skeptical about drug testing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Drug testing does not check for actual impairment. It tests for past use of drugs,\" he testified. \"There's not one study that says drug urine testing improves driving or workplace safety. There are many studies that show people who test positive for marijuana are no more dangerous than regular drivers.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The vote to exempt medical marijuana users was 4-2, with directors Malcolm Heinicke and Joél Ramos casting no votes. While he agreed testing is \"imprecise,\" Heinicke added that exempting medical marijuana users sent the wrong message about the city's taxi industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"If someone is using medical marijuana, whether that's legal or not, they shouldn't be driving a car, especially with other people in it, while under the influence of that marijuana,\" said Heinicke. \"I'm not sure that a recommendation or prescription solves the safety issue.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Board members agreed that they would like to see a change in state law so that Uber and Lyft drivers are also required to undergo similar testing. A \u003ca href=\"http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB24\" target=\"_blank\">bill\u003c/a> by Assemblyman Adrin Nazarian, D-Los Angeles, which seeks tighter regulations on Uber and Lyft and would require random drug testing, is expected to be considered in the next legislative session after \u003ca href=\"http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-ab-24-bill-tnc-uber-lyft-20150305-story.html\" target=\"_blank\">failing last year.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new drug and alcohol testing program adopted by the SFMTA will be operated by a contractor, Energetix Corp., and cost the agency an estimated $900,000 a year. It's scheduled to take effect in a month.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>San Francisco transportation officials adopted an alcohol and drug testing program for the city's 5,500 taxicab drivers Tuesday, but opted against complying with federal and state regulations that require drivers to be suspended if they test positive for marijuana.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency board of directors unanimously approved \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmta.com/sites/default/files/agendaitems/2015/10-20-15%20Item%2012%20Taxi%20Driver%20Drug%20and%20Alcohol%20Testing%20Policy.pdf\">the new policy\u003c/a>, but amended it so that drivers who do test positive for marijuana would keep their taxi permits if they show a valid medical marijuana recommendation from a doctor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under the policy, taxi drivers must submit to drug and alcohol tests when they apply for taxi permits, renew the permits annually or get in a collision. They'll also be tested in cases where there's a \"reasonable suspicion\" that they're inebriated or intoxicated, said Kate Toran, the head of the SFMTA's taxi services division. A positive drug or alcohol test could lead to a suspension or a driver's permit could be revoked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city has been out of compliance with state regulations adopted in 1996 that require alcohol and drug testing of taxicab drivers. The new policy, which took six years to craft, would put the city \"mostly in compliance,\" said Toran.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Several taxi drivers testified that the policy, as originally proposed, was another example of how the cab industry is competing on an uneven playing field with ride services such as Uber and Lyft.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Drivers for transportation network companies, regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission, are not required to undergo the same kind of substance abuse testing and don't have to comply with more stringent local regulations. Limousine drivers, also regulated by the CPUC, are required to undergo drug testing similar to the SFMTA's new program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an interview, Hansu Kim, CEO of Flywheel Taxi, said the marijuana component would have put up another barrier of entry for taxi drivers and would have potentially caused more taxi drivers to defect to Uber or Lyft.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"You have people driving for Uber and Lyft who don't have to go through that filter of accountability. That's what I worry about,\" said Kim, who added that he has never had a driver who's been arrested for marijuana impairment. \"We believe in drug testing, and we want to make sure our drivers are not taking hard drugs.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One taxi driver testified she uses medical marijuana for back pain and suspects many others use it to cope with similar ailments caused by driving for long periods of time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dale Gieringer, executive director of the California chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said the board should be skeptical about drug testing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Drug testing does not check for actual impairment. It tests for past use of drugs,\" he testified. \"There's not one study that says drug urine testing improves driving or workplace safety. There are many studies that show people who test positive for marijuana are no more dangerous than regular drivers.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The vote to exempt medical marijuana users was 4-2, with directors Malcolm Heinicke and Joél Ramos casting no votes. While he agreed testing is \"imprecise,\" Heinicke added that exempting medical marijuana users sent the wrong message about the city's taxi industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"If someone is using medical marijuana, whether that's legal or not, they shouldn't be driving a car, especially with other people in it, while under the influence of that marijuana,\" said Heinicke. \"I'm not sure that a recommendation or prescription solves the safety issue.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Board members agreed that they would like to see a change in state law so that Uber and Lyft drivers are also required to undergo similar testing. A \u003ca href=\"http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB24\" target=\"_blank\">bill\u003c/a> by Assemblyman Adrin Nazarian, D-Los Angeles, which seeks tighter regulations on Uber and Lyft and would require random drug testing, is expected to be considered in the next legislative session after \u003ca href=\"http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-ab-24-bill-tnc-uber-lyft-20150305-story.html\" target=\"_blank\">failing last year.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new drug and alcohol testing program adopted by the SFMTA will be operated by a contractor, Energetix Corp., and cost the agency an estimated $900,000 a year. It's scheduled to take effect in a month.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones on Monday approved the state's first auto insurance policy specifically for Lyft drivers who have a passenger in the car.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The policy, from MetLife Auto & Home insurance, is not the first approved in California for drivers working for Uber or Lyft -- \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/05/29/a-look-at-farmers-new-insurance-for-california-uber-and-lyft-drivers\">Farmers and Metromile have their own offerings\u003c/a> -- but it is the first to also cover drivers who have already accepted or picked up a passenger, a period that previously was covered only by the ride-hailing company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MetLife's policy, designed in collaboration with Lyft, would cover drivers over every stage of their trip.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In doing so, it seems designed to reduce confusion among drivers about how they're covered during what various stakeholders call Period 1.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[contextly_sidebar id=\"aCu4SF2jIDvVvzZPPFrnzfSLNEyW8Pph\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That's the interval of time in which drivers have their app open and are available to be matched with a customer, but have yet to accept the fare. An insurance gap during Period 1 came to light after the \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/01/27/lawyer-filing-suit-against-ride-service-company-uber-in-death-of-6-year-o/\">death of 6-year-old Sofia Liu\u003c/a>, who was hit by an UberX driver on New Year's Eve 2013. Uber said its $1 million insurance policy, required by the state, did not cover the accident because the driver was not on his way to or transporting a passenger.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Metlife's policy was first rolled out in Colorado in January, but was only approved to take effect in California starting this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyft already offers a $1 million liability policy that takes effect when the driver accepts a ride from a passenger until the end of that ride, as well as a $100,000 contingent policy for Period 1. That policy only takes effect if the driver's personal insurance policy won't cover an accident in those circumstances.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>New California legislation requires drivers to be insured at all times when driving for a ride-hailing company. The insurance can be provided by the company, the driver or by a combination of the two.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones on Monday approved the state's first auto insurance policy specifically for Lyft drivers who have a passenger in the car.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The policy, from MetLife Auto & Home insurance, is not the first approved in California for drivers working for Uber or Lyft -- \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/05/29/a-look-at-farmers-new-insurance-for-california-uber-and-lyft-drivers\">Farmers and Metromile have their own offerings\u003c/a> -- but it is the first to also cover drivers who have already accepted or picked up a passenger, a period that previously was covered only by the ride-hailing company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MetLife's policy, designed in collaboration with Lyft, would cover drivers over every stage of their trip.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In doing so, it seems designed to reduce confusion among drivers about how they're covered during what various stakeholders call Period 1.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That's the interval of time in which drivers have their app open and are available to be matched with a customer, but have yet to accept the fare. An insurance gap during Period 1 came to light after the \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/01/27/lawyer-filing-suit-against-ride-service-company-uber-in-death-of-6-year-o/\">death of 6-year-old Sofia Liu\u003c/a>, who was hit by an UberX driver on New Year's Eve 2013. Uber said its $1 million insurance policy, required by the state, did not cover the accident because the driver was not on his way to or transporting a passenger.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Metlife's policy was first rolled out in Colorado in January, but was only approved to take effect in California starting this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyft already offers a $1 million liability policy that takes effect when the driver accepts a ride from a passenger until the end of that ride, as well as a $100,000 contingent policy for Period 1. That policy only takes effect if the driver's personal insurance policy won't cover an accident in those circumstances.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>New California legislation requires drivers to be insured at all times when driving for a ride-hailing company. The insurance can be provided by the company, the driver or by a combination of the two.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"disqusTitle": "Who's Responsible for Your Uber Driver's Health Coverage?",
"title": "Who's Responsible for Your Uber Driver's Health Coverage?",
"headTitle": "KQED Future of You | KQED Science",
"content": "\u003cp>For six months, Eliza Kinrose worked about ten hours a week delivering anything from cupcakes to art supplies to strangers’ homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortly after quitting her steady job as a recruiter, Kinrose, 29, signed up to work for a new San Francisco-based mobile delivery service called \u003ca href=\"https://postmates.com/\">Postmates\u003c/a>. She made about $15 an hour for six months, which was just enough to scrape by until she launched a yoga business.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Postmates is just one of an explosion of “gig economy” or “on-demand economy” companies that connect people seeking services with sellers of those services in a few minutes’ time. Those who work for the gig economy do not receive health insurance, or any of the other social protections extended to employees. Unless they are employed elsewhere, they need to find and pay for these protections on their own.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But one evening, Kinrose received an email from Postmates about an intriguing free \"perk\" to help her find health insurance called \u003ca href=\"https://www.stridehealth.com/\">Stride Health.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stride Health is a startup health insurance broker service, which makes recommendations about health plans that are tailored to people's needs. The company offers web and mobile services to assist customers once they've purchased a health plan, including premium payment reminders and guidance on whether they qualify for subsidies. Stride Health also shows customers how much scenarios, like asthma or heart disease, would affect their out of pocket costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco-based Stride Health is one of many startups taking advantage of new opportunities created by the \u003ca href=\"http://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/rights/\">Affordable Care Act\u003c/a> and the perceived failings of the federal and state marketplaces for individuals to buy health insurance. It is unique, however, in targeting gig economy workers like Kinrose. Uber, Postmates and Taskrabbit, three of the largest gig economy companies, market Stride Health's service to their workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_48816\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 307px\">\u003cimg class=\" wp-image-48816\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/futureofyou/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/uber-sidecar-400x600.jpg\" alt=\"Many workers, like Rick Warren, drive for multiple companies, including Sidecar and Lyft. \" width=\"307\" height=\"461\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/uber-sidecar-400x600.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/uber-sidecar-787x1180.jpg 787w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/uber-sidecar-1180x1770.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/uber-sidecar-960x1440.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/uber-sidecar.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 307px) 100vw, 307px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Many workers, like Rick Warren, drive for multiple companies, including Sidecar and Lyft.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Stride Health's involvement with the gig economy may signal a shift in attitudes and priorities. According to Stride Health CEO Noah Lang, Uber and the rest are starting to care about the needs of their workers. \"They want to make sure people don't end up in a tough spot by forgoing coverage,\" he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But critics of the gig economy say Stride Health is a bandaid solution, as workers are still on the hook to pay for their own health insurance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When we have a jobs-based social welfare system, some people get a combination of health care, disability and more,” said Ken Jacobs, chair of the Labor Center at UC Berkeley, who specializes in health care coverage and public policy. “In a world where people are operating separately from that, the safety net goes away.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How Big Is the Gig Economy, Really?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In cities across the United States, anyone with a smartphone can order a meal from Postmates, a ride to work via Lyft or Uber, groceries on Instacart or a home cleaning on Handy. These services are so pervasive, with billions in total sales as a group that it’s hard to believe they only sprung up in the past five years.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">“These marketplaces care about growing and maintaining their labor pool. But at the same time, they have to minimize their risks by not stepping over any of the lines.”\u003cbr>\n\u003ccite>Noah Lang, Stride Health cofounder and CEO\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>The on-demand economy has been hailed as the next big thing, but labor economists say it still hasn’t made much of a dent in the overall U.S. economy. The idea may be disruptive to the status quo, but the most recent data suggests that Americans are no less likely to be self-employed than a decade ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The gig economy currently is not really even big enough to show up in the [national economic] data,” said Jacobs. “And unfortunately, we don’t yet have a good sense of how big it will be.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One promising trend, according to Jacobs, is that the companies are starting to release more data on their workers. In 2014, Uber collaborated with Princeton University economist Alan Kreuger on a report that determined the company had 160,000 “driver partners” in the United States. By contrast, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that there were some 230,000 taxi-drivers in the U.S. in 2012.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber may not show up in national data just yet, but it is having an outsized impact in politics and popular culture. Even the presidential candidates are taking a side: While Hilary Clinton says she wants to “crack down” on sharing economy abuses of workers, Jeb Bush was recently spotted hailing an Uber ride in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Independent\u003c/b>\u003cstrong> Contractors or Employees? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By targeting the gig economy, Stride Health has taken a central role in an ongoing debate between policymakers, investors, and litigators, about whether on-demand companies should be treating their workers as employees and paying their expenses, as well as providing health insurance and other benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber, a San Francisco-based company that uses a smartphone app to link people needing car rides with drivers for hire who use their own vehicles, is currently facing a\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/futureofyou/2015/09/23/uc-riverside-professor-slams-feds-stands-by-his-health-app/\"> looming class action lawsuit\u003c/a>. In the suit, three Uber drivers are collectively challenging the company on whether they should be considered employees under the law – and not independent contractors, as the company now classifies them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And in June, the California Labor Commission ruled against Uber in determining that an ex-driver was entitled to reimbursement for business expenses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Many drivers have included on their list of issues that they are on their own for health insurance,” said Shannon Liss-Riordan, of Boston, Mass. the lead plaintiff attorney in the class action lawsuit against Uber. Liss-Riordan is also taking aim against Uber’s main rival, Lyft, and has spoken to hundreds of people who drive for these companies. “These drivers are left in the cold,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>How the Uber case ends up could have national implications. If the company loses its class-action lawsuit and has to reclassify its drivers from independent contractors to employees, that would force the company to pay for things like expenses, and provide benefits to full-time drivers. One recent estimate is that Uber would need to \u003ca href=\"http://recode.net/2015/07/14/uber-could-have-to-pay-an-additional-209-million-to-reclassify-its-drivers-in-california/\">pay $209 million a year\u003c/a> to reclassify its drivers to employees – and that’s just in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not everyone believes that Uber and the rest have left anyone out in the cold.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_48815\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-48815\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/futureofyou/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/Uber-1-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Lyft driver Deco Carter scanning for a fare.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/Uber-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/Uber-1-400x267.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/Uber-1-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/Uber-1.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/Uber-1-960x640.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lyft driver Deco Carter scanning for a fare. \u003ccite>(Alan Toth/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For one thing, the Affordable Care Act has relieved the burden for many drivers, as it provides subsidies for low-income people to buy health insurance independently. Uber's CEO Travis Kalanick reportedly referred to the ACA as \"huge\" for the gig economy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some policymakers envision a middle ground, where workers have some added protections but are not full employees. One idea is a new worker category called a \"dependent contractor,\" which is legal in Germany, Canada and other countries, but not in the United States.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>U.S. Senator Mark Warner, D-Virginia, has spent more than a year researching the on-demand economy. \u003ca href=\"http://onlabor.org/2015/06/22/a-new-category-of-worker-for-the-on-demand-economy/\">He has proposed \u003c/a>numerous paths forward to broker a peace in the legal wars, including the dependent contractor model. He has also proposed similar marketplaces to the Affordable Care Act for other key benefits, including workers' compensation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Warner doesn't agree that the ACA is a silver bullet for the gig economy, as these companies do not pay into it. Uber avoids providing health insurance to drivers, which it considers contractors, as the ACA mandates that only employers extend coverage to full-time employees. That’s a loophole that saves gig economy companies a lot of money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Walking the Tightrope \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some \u003ca href=\"http://qz.com/299655/why-your-uber-driver-hates-uber/\">critics of Uber have painted the company’s top executives as indifferent to the plight of workers\u003c/a>. But by providing services to workers, these companies risk adding fuel to the legal argument that they should be employees and not independent contractors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://docs.procurement.ku.edu/departmental_policies/Independent_Contractor_Excerpts.pdf\">The I.R.S. has about twenty factors\u003c/a> that it takes into account when determining a worker classification. One important distinction is how much \"control\" an employer has over the work that's being done, but it's not always clear what control means.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Essentially, this [partnership with Stride Health] is about how these workers can get health care without exposing Uber and the rest to liability or responsibility,” said UC Berkeley’s Jacobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_48819\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-48819\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/futureofyou/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/IMG_1692-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Stride Health's founders Noah Lang (left) and Matt Butner (right) \" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/IMG_1692-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/IMG_1692-400x300.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/IMG_1692-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/IMG_1692-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/IMG_1692-960x720.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Stride Health's founders Noah Lang (left) and Matt Butner (right) \u003ccite>(Christina Farr/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Lang doesn’t totally disagree, but paints the partnership in a more positive light: “These marketplaces care about growing and maintaining their labor pool,” he said. “But at the same time, they have to minimize their risks by not stepping over any of the lines.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If these companies do nothing, their practices may draw fire from policymakers. An uninsured and at-risk population is likely to incur major health costs in the long-term, costs that could eventually be borne by taxpayers. According to Lang, about 40 percent of gig economy workers surveyed by Stride Health said they would \"not have gotten coverage otherwise.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stride Health seems to be a safe solution for the gig economy companies. It is unclear how many workers are using the tool, but Uber said it is helping those who are uninsured drivers find an affordable health plan. And drivers seem to like it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Finding affordable, effective health insurance is top of mind for many drivers,\" an Uber spokesperson said in a press release. A spokesperson for Taskrabbit said the company “vetted other options” but ultimately opted to partner with Stride due to the “thoughtful approach for independent contractors.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Postmates declined to comment on its reasons for partnering with Stride. \u003cspan class=\"s1\">Uber and Taskrabbit emailed statements that could not be attributed to any company official. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Will On-Demand Companies Ever Provide Health Insurance to Workers?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Critics of the on-demand economy say that Uber and the rest are the latest in a long line of companies that use fancy wordplay and questionable tactics to avoid protecting workers. These legal battles go back decades, with FedEx most recently settling a lawsuit with drivers who claimed they had been misclassified.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Uber tries to argue that it’s not in the car service industry; it’s a technology platform,” said Liss-Riordan in an interview. “The court rejected that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">“Some folks are working part-time for other jobs. Others have not had health insurance in a long time and need extra help navigating their options.\"\u003cbr>\n\u003ccite>An Uber spokesperson\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Some on-demand economy companies are now taking steps to reclassify their workers as employees, including \u003ca href=\"http://www.doctorondemand.com/\">Doctor on Demand\u003c/a>, a company that connects people with doctors online in a matter of minutes, as well as mobile delivery services Instacart and Shyp.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Lang is doubtful that this will trigger a shift for the on-demand economy at large. As Lang points out, Uber’s labor pool is much larger than \u003ca href=\"http://www.businessinsider.com/why-instacart-is-reclassifing-some-of-its-workers-as-employees-2015-6\">an Instarcart\u003c/a> or Shyp and its workers are not specialized like Doctor on Demand’s physicians – all they need is a drivers’ license. “I give Shyp and Instacart kudos, of course,” he said, “but it’s also opportunistic for them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A change in federal law or a landmark Supreme Court ruling might force Uber, Lyft and others to treat their workers as employees. This wouldn’t mean that every driver would receive employee-sponsored health insurance overnight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dan Diamond, executive editor for the research and consulting firm \u003ca href=\"https://www.advisory.com/\">The Advisory Board\u003c/a>, has written about how Uber would handle the health care problem if its drivers were considered employees. Diamond does not believe that workers would immediately benefit from a reclassification.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber might opt to avoid providing health insurance by paying a fee under the Affordable Care Act (a requirement if businesses do not provide health insurance to employees who work more than 30 hours per week). It might also cap workers’ at 29 hours per week to keep them part-time employees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Diamond expects that Uber will use every weapon in its arsenal to avoid such an outcome. “For Uber, none of these options are ideal.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Deco Carter, a Bay Area-based Lyft driver, said he “knew the risks” when he joined the growing ranks of gig economy workers. He has been involved in two auto accidents, and lacked income for several weeks until he got his car fixed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I really didn't have anything to fall back on,\" he said. \"If it wasn't for my fiancé, I don't know what I would have done.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the years ahead, he hopes that Lyft would consider extending benefits to drivers, particularly to those who work full-time hours. Lyft is not currently working with Stride Health, but it drivers have access to an alternative service called the eHealth marketplace. A spokesperson denied requests from KQED for an interview.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But while executives at these companies may want to do more to protect workers, they are also under pressure to protect their bottom line. It would be highly expensive for them to reclassify workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most experts are watching the presidential race as an indicator of what’s to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My fear is that we’ll either re-classify everyone as an employee or trust the unfettered hand of capitalism,” said Warner. “Before that happens, I’m hoping those of us who are thinking about this in a bipartisan fashion can come up with some policy ideas that might be embraced by both sides.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "A startup called Stride Health is working with Uber, Taskrabbit and Postmates to help their workers find affordable health insurance. Is it enough?",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>For six months, Eliza Kinrose worked about ten hours a week delivering anything from cupcakes to art supplies to strangers’ homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortly after quitting her steady job as a recruiter, Kinrose, 29, signed up to work for a new San Francisco-based mobile delivery service called \u003ca href=\"https://postmates.com/\">Postmates\u003c/a>. She made about $15 an hour for six months, which was just enough to scrape by until she launched a yoga business.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Postmates is just one of an explosion of “gig economy” or “on-demand economy” companies that connect people seeking services with sellers of those services in a few minutes’ time. Those who work for the gig economy do not receive health insurance, or any of the other social protections extended to employees. Unless they are employed elsewhere, they need to find and pay for these protections on their own.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But one evening, Kinrose received an email from Postmates about an intriguing free \"perk\" to help her find health insurance called \u003ca href=\"https://www.stridehealth.com/\">Stride Health.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stride Health is a startup health insurance broker service, which makes recommendations about health plans that are tailored to people's needs. The company offers web and mobile services to assist customers once they've purchased a health plan, including premium payment reminders and guidance on whether they qualify for subsidies. Stride Health also shows customers how much scenarios, like asthma or heart disease, would affect their out of pocket costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco-based Stride Health is one of many startups taking advantage of new opportunities created by the \u003ca href=\"http://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/rights/\">Affordable Care Act\u003c/a> and the perceived failings of the federal and state marketplaces for individuals to buy health insurance. It is unique, however, in targeting gig economy workers like Kinrose. Uber, Postmates and Taskrabbit, three of the largest gig economy companies, market Stride Health's service to their workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_48816\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 307px\">\u003cimg class=\" wp-image-48816\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/futureofyou/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/uber-sidecar-400x600.jpg\" alt=\"Many workers, like Rick Warren, drive for multiple companies, including Sidecar and Lyft. \" width=\"307\" height=\"461\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/uber-sidecar-400x600.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/uber-sidecar-787x1180.jpg 787w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/uber-sidecar-1180x1770.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/uber-sidecar-960x1440.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/uber-sidecar.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 307px) 100vw, 307px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Many workers, like Rick Warren, drive for multiple companies, including Sidecar and Lyft.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Stride Health's involvement with the gig economy may signal a shift in attitudes and priorities. According to Stride Health CEO Noah Lang, Uber and the rest are starting to care about the needs of their workers. \"They want to make sure people don't end up in a tough spot by forgoing coverage,\" he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But critics of the gig economy say Stride Health is a bandaid solution, as workers are still on the hook to pay for their own health insurance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When we have a jobs-based social welfare system, some people get a combination of health care, disability and more,” said Ken Jacobs, chair of the Labor Center at UC Berkeley, who specializes in health care coverage and public policy. “In a world where people are operating separately from that, the safety net goes away.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How Big Is the Gig Economy, Really?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In cities across the United States, anyone with a smartphone can order a meal from Postmates, a ride to work via Lyft or Uber, groceries on Instacart or a home cleaning on Handy. These services are so pervasive, with billions in total sales as a group that it’s hard to believe they only sprung up in the past five years.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">“These marketplaces care about growing and maintaining their labor pool. But at the same time, they have to minimize their risks by not stepping over any of the lines.”\u003cbr>\n\u003ccite>Noah Lang, Stride Health cofounder and CEO\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>The on-demand economy has been hailed as the next big thing, but labor economists say it still hasn’t made much of a dent in the overall U.S. economy. The idea may be disruptive to the status quo, but the most recent data suggests that Americans are no less likely to be self-employed than a decade ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The gig economy currently is not really even big enough to show up in the [national economic] data,” said Jacobs. “And unfortunately, we don’t yet have a good sense of how big it will be.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One promising trend, according to Jacobs, is that the companies are starting to release more data on their workers. In 2014, Uber collaborated with Princeton University economist Alan Kreuger on a report that determined the company had 160,000 “driver partners” in the United States. By contrast, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that there were some 230,000 taxi-drivers in the U.S. in 2012.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber may not show up in national data just yet, but it is having an outsized impact in politics and popular culture. Even the presidential candidates are taking a side: While Hilary Clinton says she wants to “crack down” on sharing economy abuses of workers, Jeb Bush was recently spotted hailing an Uber ride in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Independent\u003c/b>\u003cstrong> Contractors or Employees? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By targeting the gig economy, Stride Health has taken a central role in an ongoing debate between policymakers, investors, and litigators, about whether on-demand companies should be treating their workers as employees and paying their expenses, as well as providing health insurance and other benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber, a San Francisco-based company that uses a smartphone app to link people needing car rides with drivers for hire who use their own vehicles, is currently facing a\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/futureofyou/2015/09/23/uc-riverside-professor-slams-feds-stands-by-his-health-app/\"> looming class action lawsuit\u003c/a>. In the suit, three Uber drivers are collectively challenging the company on whether they should be considered employees under the law – and not independent contractors, as the company now classifies them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And in June, the California Labor Commission ruled against Uber in determining that an ex-driver was entitled to reimbursement for business expenses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Many drivers have included on their list of issues that they are on their own for health insurance,” said Shannon Liss-Riordan, of Boston, Mass. the lead plaintiff attorney in the class action lawsuit against Uber. Liss-Riordan is also taking aim against Uber’s main rival, Lyft, and has spoken to hundreds of people who drive for these companies. “These drivers are left in the cold,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>How the Uber case ends up could have national implications. If the company loses its class-action lawsuit and has to reclassify its drivers from independent contractors to employees, that would force the company to pay for things like expenses, and provide benefits to full-time drivers. One recent estimate is that Uber would need to \u003ca href=\"http://recode.net/2015/07/14/uber-could-have-to-pay-an-additional-209-million-to-reclassify-its-drivers-in-california/\">pay $209 million a year\u003c/a> to reclassify its drivers to employees – and that’s just in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not everyone believes that Uber and the rest have left anyone out in the cold.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_48815\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-48815\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/futureofyou/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/Uber-1-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Lyft driver Deco Carter scanning for a fare.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/Uber-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/Uber-1-400x267.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/Uber-1-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/Uber-1.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/Uber-1-960x640.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lyft driver Deco Carter scanning for a fare. \u003ccite>(Alan Toth/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For one thing, the Affordable Care Act has relieved the burden for many drivers, as it provides subsidies for low-income people to buy health insurance independently. Uber's CEO Travis Kalanick reportedly referred to the ACA as \"huge\" for the gig economy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some policymakers envision a middle ground, where workers have some added protections but are not full employees. One idea is a new worker category called a \"dependent contractor,\" which is legal in Germany, Canada and other countries, but not in the United States.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>U.S. Senator Mark Warner, D-Virginia, has spent more than a year researching the on-demand economy. \u003ca href=\"http://onlabor.org/2015/06/22/a-new-category-of-worker-for-the-on-demand-economy/\">He has proposed \u003c/a>numerous paths forward to broker a peace in the legal wars, including the dependent contractor model. He has also proposed similar marketplaces to the Affordable Care Act for other key benefits, including workers' compensation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Warner doesn't agree that the ACA is a silver bullet for the gig economy, as these companies do not pay into it. Uber avoids providing health insurance to drivers, which it considers contractors, as the ACA mandates that only employers extend coverage to full-time employees. That’s a loophole that saves gig economy companies a lot of money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Walking the Tightrope \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some \u003ca href=\"http://qz.com/299655/why-your-uber-driver-hates-uber/\">critics of Uber have painted the company’s top executives as indifferent to the plight of workers\u003c/a>. But by providing services to workers, these companies risk adding fuel to the legal argument that they should be employees and not independent contractors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://docs.procurement.ku.edu/departmental_policies/Independent_Contractor_Excerpts.pdf\">The I.R.S. has about twenty factors\u003c/a> that it takes into account when determining a worker classification. One important distinction is how much \"control\" an employer has over the work that's being done, but it's not always clear what control means.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Essentially, this [partnership with Stride Health] is about how these workers can get health care without exposing Uber and the rest to liability or responsibility,” said UC Berkeley’s Jacobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_48819\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-48819\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/futureofyou/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/IMG_1692-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Stride Health's founders Noah Lang (left) and Matt Butner (right) \" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/IMG_1692-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/IMG_1692-400x300.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/IMG_1692-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/IMG_1692-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/IMG_1692-960x720.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Stride Health's founders Noah Lang (left) and Matt Butner (right) \u003ccite>(Christina Farr/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Lang doesn’t totally disagree, but paints the partnership in a more positive light: “These marketplaces care about growing and maintaining their labor pool,” he said. “But at the same time, they have to minimize their risks by not stepping over any of the lines.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If these companies do nothing, their practices may draw fire from policymakers. An uninsured and at-risk population is likely to incur major health costs in the long-term, costs that could eventually be borne by taxpayers. According to Lang, about 40 percent of gig economy workers surveyed by Stride Health said they would \"not have gotten coverage otherwise.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stride Health seems to be a safe solution for the gig economy companies. It is unclear how many workers are using the tool, but Uber said it is helping those who are uninsured drivers find an affordable health plan. And drivers seem to like it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Finding affordable, effective health insurance is top of mind for many drivers,\" an Uber spokesperson said in a press release. A spokesperson for Taskrabbit said the company “vetted other options” but ultimately opted to partner with Stride due to the “thoughtful approach for independent contractors.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Postmates declined to comment on its reasons for partnering with Stride. \u003cspan class=\"s1\">Uber and Taskrabbit emailed statements that could not be attributed to any company official. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Will On-Demand Companies Ever Provide Health Insurance to Workers?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Critics of the on-demand economy say that Uber and the rest are the latest in a long line of companies that use fancy wordplay and questionable tactics to avoid protecting workers. These legal battles go back decades, with FedEx most recently settling a lawsuit with drivers who claimed they had been misclassified.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Uber tries to argue that it’s not in the car service industry; it’s a technology platform,” said Liss-Riordan in an interview. “The court rejected that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">“Some folks are working part-time for other jobs. Others have not had health insurance in a long time and need extra help navigating their options.\"\u003cbr>\n\u003ccite>An Uber spokesperson\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Some on-demand economy companies are now taking steps to reclassify their workers as employees, including \u003ca href=\"http://www.doctorondemand.com/\">Doctor on Demand\u003c/a>, a company that connects people with doctors online in a matter of minutes, as well as mobile delivery services Instacart and Shyp.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Lang is doubtful that this will trigger a shift for the on-demand economy at large. As Lang points out, Uber’s labor pool is much larger than \u003ca href=\"http://www.businessinsider.com/why-instacart-is-reclassifing-some-of-its-workers-as-employees-2015-6\">an Instarcart\u003c/a> or Shyp and its workers are not specialized like Doctor on Demand’s physicians – all they need is a drivers’ license. “I give Shyp and Instacart kudos, of course,” he said, “but it’s also opportunistic for them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A change in federal law or a landmark Supreme Court ruling might force Uber, Lyft and others to treat their workers as employees. This wouldn’t mean that every driver would receive employee-sponsored health insurance overnight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dan Diamond, executive editor for the research and consulting firm \u003ca href=\"https://www.advisory.com/\">The Advisory Board\u003c/a>, has written about how Uber would handle the health care problem if its drivers were considered employees. Diamond does not believe that workers would immediately benefit from a reclassification.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber might opt to avoid providing health insurance by paying a fee under the Affordable Care Act (a requirement if businesses do not provide health insurance to employees who work more than 30 hours per week). It might also cap workers’ at 29 hours per week to keep them part-time employees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Diamond expects that Uber will use every weapon in its arsenal to avoid such an outcome. “For Uber, none of these options are ideal.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Deco Carter, a Bay Area-based Lyft driver, said he “knew the risks” when he joined the growing ranks of gig economy workers. He has been involved in two auto accidents, and lacked income for several weeks until he got his car fixed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I really didn't have anything to fall back on,\" he said. \"If it wasn't for my fiancé, I don't know what I would have done.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the years ahead, he hopes that Lyft would consider extending benefits to drivers, particularly to those who work full-time hours. Lyft is not currently working with Stride Health, but it drivers have access to an alternative service called the eHealth marketplace. A spokesperson denied requests from KQED for an interview.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But while executives at these companies may want to do more to protect workers, they are also under pressure to protect their bottom line. It would be highly expensive for them to reclassify workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most experts are watching the presidential race as an indicator of what’s to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My fear is that we’ll either re-classify everyone as an employee or trust the unfettered hand of capitalism,” said Warner. “Before that happens, I’m hoping those of us who are thinking about this in a bipartisan fashion can come up with some policy ideas that might be embraced by both sides.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"disqusTitle": "Judge Certifies Uber Drivers' Lawsuit as a Class Action",
"title": "Judge Certifies Uber Drivers' Lawsuit as a Class Action",
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"content": "\u003cp>A federal judge in San Francisco \u003ca href=\"http://www.cand.uscourts.gov/EMC/OConnorvUberTechnologies\">has ruled\u003c/a> that a lawsuit by a group of Uber drivers seeking to be classified as employees instead of independent contractors can move forward as a class action against the company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>U.S. District Court Judge Edward Chen said the key question before him was whether drivers' working relationships with Uber were \"sufficiently similar so that a jury can resolve [their] legal claims all at once.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a 68-page ruling, Chen called a number of Uber's arguments -- including that its drivers are too diverse to be considered a class -- \"problematic.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the case could potentially affect 160,000 California Uber drivers, Chen excluded drivers who signed a 2014 arbitration clause. With that group excluded, he ruled the class will include UberBlack, UberX and UberSUV drivers who signed up with the company and were paid as individuals over the past six years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shannon Liss-Riordan, a Boston-based labor attorney who represents the drivers, said that means most California drivers who worked for Uber before May 2014 could be included.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"This decision is a major victory for Uber drivers,\" Liss-Riordan said. \"It will allow thousands of Uber drivers to participate in this case to challenge their misclassification as independent contractors.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An Uber spokeswoman, Natalia Montalvo, interpreted the class certification in an email as applying to \"a tiny fraction of the class that the plaintiffs were seeking.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We'll most likely appeal the decision as partners use Uber on their own terms, and there really is not a typical driver, the key question at issue,\" Montalvo said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last month, before the federal court hearing on class certification, Uber attorney Ted Boutrous accused the three drivers who are lead plaintiffs of \"acting against the interest of the very people they seek to represent.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Boutrous, surrounded by about a dozen Uber drivers, repeated Uber's position that drivers like being independent contractors because it allows them freedom over their schedules.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But after that hearing Liss-Riordan stressed, in an interview with reporters, that drivers aren't entitled to basic wage protections, unemployment pay if they are terminated, or workers compensation if they're injured on the job.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Everyone understands the flexibility. We understand that. That's the reason why a lot of drivers do it,\" she said. \"But that doesn't mean they're not entitled to the protections of employment when they're doing their work.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Liss-Riordan said there's no reason why the flexibility couldn't continue if the suit prevails. Chen seemed to concur in his ruling: \"Uber has not definitely established that all (or even much) of this 'flexibility' would necessarily be lost, nor has Uber even established that a victory for Plaintiffs in this lawsuit would require Uber to use 'less flexible' work schedules going forward.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/08/06/judge-to-consider-expanding-drivers-lawsuit-against-uber\">we've written\u003c/a>, if the suit is successful it could have sweeping consequences for Uber, threatening the company's business model that relies on drivers to pay their own expenses and work as independent contractors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The three drivers are seeking reimbursement for those expenses, including gas and car maintenance, as well as tips that Liss-Riordan said were advertised to customers as being included in the fare but not distributed to drivers. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If drivers become employees, Uber would be required to pay expenses -- under California's wage law -- withhold taxes and pay for unemployment, Social Security and workers compensation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pending the outcome of any appeal of Tuesday's ruling, the case is expected to go to trial sometime next year.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>A federal judge in San Francisco \u003ca href=\"http://www.cand.uscourts.gov/EMC/OConnorvUberTechnologies\">has ruled\u003c/a> that a lawsuit by a group of Uber drivers seeking to be classified as employees instead of independent contractors can move forward as a class action against the company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>U.S. District Court Judge Edward Chen said the key question before him was whether drivers' working relationships with Uber were \"sufficiently similar so that a jury can resolve [their] legal claims all at once.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a 68-page ruling, Chen called a number of Uber's arguments -- including that its drivers are too diverse to be considered a class -- \"problematic.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the case could potentially affect 160,000 California Uber drivers, Chen excluded drivers who signed a 2014 arbitration clause. With that group excluded, he ruled the class will include UberBlack, UberX and UberSUV drivers who signed up with the company and were paid as individuals over the past six years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shannon Liss-Riordan, a Boston-based labor attorney who represents the drivers, said that means most California drivers who worked for Uber before May 2014 could be included.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"This decision is a major victory for Uber drivers,\" Liss-Riordan said. \"It will allow thousands of Uber drivers to participate in this case to challenge their misclassification as independent contractors.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An Uber spokeswoman, Natalia Montalvo, interpreted the class certification in an email as applying to \"a tiny fraction of the class that the plaintiffs were seeking.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We'll most likely appeal the decision as partners use Uber on their own terms, and there really is not a typical driver, the key question at issue,\" Montalvo said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last month, before the federal court hearing on class certification, Uber attorney Ted Boutrous accused the three drivers who are lead plaintiffs of \"acting against the interest of the very people they seek to represent.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Boutrous, surrounded by about a dozen Uber drivers, repeated Uber's position that drivers like being independent contractors because it allows them freedom over their schedules.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But after that hearing Liss-Riordan stressed, in an interview with reporters, that drivers aren't entitled to basic wage protections, unemployment pay if they are terminated, or workers compensation if they're injured on the job.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Everyone understands the flexibility. We understand that. That's the reason why a lot of drivers do it,\" she said. \"But that doesn't mean they're not entitled to the protections of employment when they're doing their work.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Liss-Riordan said there's no reason why the flexibility couldn't continue if the suit prevails. Chen seemed to concur in his ruling: \"Uber has not definitely established that all (or even much) of this 'flexibility' would necessarily be lost, nor has Uber even established that a victory for Plaintiffs in this lawsuit would require Uber to use 'less flexible' work schedules going forward.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/08/06/judge-to-consider-expanding-drivers-lawsuit-against-uber\">we've written\u003c/a>, if the suit is successful it could have sweeping consequences for Uber, threatening the company's business model that relies on drivers to pay their own expenses and work as independent contractors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The three drivers are seeking reimbursement for those expenses, including gas and car maintenance, as well as tips that Liss-Riordan said were advertised to customers as being included in the fare but not distributed to drivers. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If drivers become employees, Uber would be required to pay expenses -- under California's wage law -- withhold taxes and pay for unemployment, Social Security and workers compensation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pending the outcome of any appeal of Tuesday's ruling, the case is expected to go to trial sometime next year.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"disqusTitle": "A Look at Farmers' New Insurance For California Uber and Lyft Drivers",
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"content": "\u003cp>Never mind the state regulations, the sky-high valuations and the fact that a character on a recent \"Veep\" mentioned catching an Uber. Maybe an indication that any concept has entered the fabric of mainstream American society is that you can get it insured.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber Communications Director Eva Behrend didn't say that exactly, yesterday -- the first day that all transportation network company drivers in the state could purchase insurance for the commercial activities going on in their vehicles. But she hinted at broad acceptance of the ride-service model when she said, “We believe this is another way that people are recognizing that ride-sharing is part of California’s economy.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new insurance is offered by Farmers as a supplement -- called an endorsement -- to drivers' personal auto policies, and it will cost an additional 8 percent of their premium. A smaller insurer, MetroMile, already offers \u003ca href=\"https://www.metromile.com/uber/\" target=\"_blank\">individual ride-service insurance\u003c/a>, but it's exclusive to Uber drivers. That insurance costs a base rate plus a per-mile charge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But now drivers for Lyft, Sidecar or any other TNC can buy insurance to cover what various stakeholders call Period 1. That's the interval of time that drivers have their app open and are available to be matched with a customer, but have yet to accept the fare. An insurance gap during this interval came to light after the death of 6-year-old Sofia Liu, who was hit by an UberX driver on New Year's Eve, 2013. Uber said its $1 million insurance policy, required by the state, did not cover the accident because the driver was not on his way to or transporting a passenger.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since then, California has \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/09/02/2014/Uber_Lyft_California_insurance/\" target=\"_blank\">enacted AB2293\u003c/a>, which goes into effect July 1 and requires all ride-service companies to offer liability insurance for Period 1 of at least $50,000 per individual and $100,000 total per incident for bodily injury, and $30,000 for property damage. An additional $200,000 in excess coverage is also required. Behrend of Uber, by far the largest TNC (it claims 20,000 drivers in the Bay Area alone) says the company is on schedule to meet all those requirements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But drivers have been incurring all sorts of risks when they use their personal vehicles for TNC work. During Period 1, Uber and Lyft do not offer collision (coverage for when the policyholder is at fault), comprehensive (for fire, theft and other damage), underinsured motorist coverage or medical payments. (They also do not offer those coverages for the succeeding periods, unless drivers carry them on their personal policies).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones thinks that's a problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Liability coverage (offered by Lyft and Uber) doesn’t include coverage for repair of your vehicle, damage to your vehicle which may occur outside of an accident, for medical costs you might incur if you’re injured … nor does it include uninsured and underinsured coverage, where even if the other person is at fault and they don’t have insurance, then you'll have recourse to nothing. All those are not required by law.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, while earlier versions of regulations proposed by the California Public Utilities Commission did require TNCs to offer those additional coverages, the only option now for drivers who want the full boat of insurance is to buy it from an insurer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We’re encouraging other insurers to file policies with us,\" Jones said. \"We’d like to see more products offered.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>More Details on Farmers Policy\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Farmers' head of innovation, Mariel Devesa, explained to me Thursday what you can and cannot do regarding its new ride-service product.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>If your personal auto insurance is with another company, you'll have to switch to Farmers. The product is not a stand-alone TNC policy, but a hybrid personal-commercial product.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>You can't mix and match coverage amounts for personal time in your car and your time doing TNC work. The policy add-on will be a straight extension of your existing personal policy with Farmers. So, for example, if you are covered for $30,000 in comprehensive and $30,000 in collision on your personal policy, you can't up those amounts for your TNC add-on, even if you think the risk is greater during that period. You can, however, increase the amount on your underlying personal policy, which will then carry over into your TNC work.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Likewise, you can't carry one category of coverage on your personal policy and another on the ride-service endorsement, and vice versa. If you have collision and underinsured motorist, for example, on your personal policy, that's what you must carry for the TNC portion.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Devesa said Farmers structured it this way so the policy's transition from personal to commercial insurance would be as seamless as possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Coming out of the Insurance Shadows? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the things we've heard over and over again from TNC drivers is that they have not informed their insurance company of what they do, for \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2013/11/14/can-lyft-uberx-drivers-lose-their-insurance\" target=\"_blank\">fear of losing their personal coverage\u003c/a>. Although only a handful of reports have surfaced of this actually occurring, the word among drivers is that it's a definite risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mike Banko, who's been driving for Lyft since December 2012, is typical of that \"don't ask, don't tell\" attitude.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I've been with my insurance company for the past 16 years,\" he said. \"I never have disclosed to them I do ride-share, but they also have never asked.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Does he worry about that?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I do believe they would cover me during a Period 1 accident, but I think they may then drop me. But I’m not 100 percent sure.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Banko said he'd feel less exposed if he could be proactively honest with his insurance company, and he said he intended to get a quote from Farmers, which he's not insured with, as soon as possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I also asked John Han, a longtime San Francisco cab driver, if he'd now consider making the switch to a TNC, because he'd gone partially down that road a couple of years ago, abandoning the attempt because he couldn't get coverage whenever he told an insurer he intended to use his vehicle for ride-service work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Han said no dice, not in 2015.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"That was the case in late 2013, early 2014. I couldn’t get insurance and that was the deal breaker. But since then, \u003ca href=\"http://fortune.com/2014/05/28/in-price-wars-some-uber-and-lyft-drivers-feel-the-crunch/\" target=\"_blank\">Uber and Lyft have gotten into their price war\u003c/a>. So if I'd made the switch back then, I could be expected to make the same amount of money per ride, approximately (as from driving a taxi). But now they’ve made their prices so low, that even with this new insurance product, there’s more to consider. I think nowadays some cab drivers may be making more than the average TNC driver, and that was not the case before.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Is that true? Well, Mike Banko, for one, says he now makes about half of what he used to as a Lyft driver.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But that's another story.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Never mind the state regulations, the sky-high valuations and the fact that a character on a recent \"Veep\" mentioned catching an Uber. Maybe an indication that any concept has entered the fabric of mainstream American society is that you can get it insured.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber Communications Director Eva Behrend didn't say that exactly, yesterday -- the first day that all transportation network company drivers in the state could purchase insurance for the commercial activities going on in their vehicles. But she hinted at broad acceptance of the ride-service model when she said, “We believe this is another way that people are recognizing that ride-sharing is part of California’s economy.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new insurance is offered by Farmers as a supplement -- called an endorsement -- to drivers' personal auto policies, and it will cost an additional 8 percent of their premium. A smaller insurer, MetroMile, already offers \u003ca href=\"https://www.metromile.com/uber/\" target=\"_blank\">individual ride-service insurance\u003c/a>, but it's exclusive to Uber drivers. That insurance costs a base rate plus a per-mile charge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But now drivers for Lyft, Sidecar or any other TNC can buy insurance to cover what various stakeholders call Period 1. That's the interval of time that drivers have their app open and are available to be matched with a customer, but have yet to accept the fare. An insurance gap during this interval came to light after the death of 6-year-old Sofia Liu, who was hit by an UberX driver on New Year's Eve, 2013. Uber said its $1 million insurance policy, required by the state, did not cover the accident because the driver was not on his way to or transporting a passenger.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since then, California has \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/09/02/2014/Uber_Lyft_California_insurance/\" target=\"_blank\">enacted AB2293\u003c/a>, which goes into effect July 1 and requires all ride-service companies to offer liability insurance for Period 1 of at least $50,000 per individual and $100,000 total per incident for bodily injury, and $30,000 for property damage. An additional $200,000 in excess coverage is also required. Behrend of Uber, by far the largest TNC (it claims 20,000 drivers in the Bay Area alone) says the company is on schedule to meet all those requirements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But drivers have been incurring all sorts of risks when they use their personal vehicles for TNC work. During Period 1, Uber and Lyft do not offer collision (coverage for when the policyholder is at fault), comprehensive (for fire, theft and other damage), underinsured motorist coverage or medical payments. (They also do not offer those coverages for the succeeding periods, unless drivers carry them on their personal policies).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones thinks that's a problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Liability coverage (offered by Lyft and Uber) doesn’t include coverage for repair of your vehicle, damage to your vehicle which may occur outside of an accident, for medical costs you might incur if you’re injured … nor does it include uninsured and underinsured coverage, where even if the other person is at fault and they don’t have insurance, then you'll have recourse to nothing. All those are not required by law.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, while earlier versions of regulations proposed by the California Public Utilities Commission did require TNCs to offer those additional coverages, the only option now for drivers who want the full boat of insurance is to buy it from an insurer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We’re encouraging other insurers to file policies with us,\" Jones said. \"We’d like to see more products offered.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>More Details on Farmers Policy\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Farmers' head of innovation, Mariel Devesa, explained to me Thursday what you can and cannot do regarding its new ride-service product.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>If your personal auto insurance is with another company, you'll have to switch to Farmers. The product is not a stand-alone TNC policy, but a hybrid personal-commercial product.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>You can't mix and match coverage amounts for personal time in your car and your time doing TNC work. The policy add-on will be a straight extension of your existing personal policy with Farmers. So, for example, if you are covered for $30,000 in comprehensive and $30,000 in collision on your personal policy, you can't up those amounts for your TNC add-on, even if you think the risk is greater during that period. You can, however, increase the amount on your underlying personal policy, which will then carry over into your TNC work.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Likewise, you can't carry one category of coverage on your personal policy and another on the ride-service endorsement, and vice versa. If you have collision and underinsured motorist, for example, on your personal policy, that's what you must carry for the TNC portion.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Devesa said Farmers structured it this way so the policy's transition from personal to commercial insurance would be as seamless as possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Coming out of the Insurance Shadows? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the things we've heard over and over again from TNC drivers is that they have not informed their insurance company of what they do, for \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2013/11/14/can-lyft-uberx-drivers-lose-their-insurance\" target=\"_blank\">fear of losing their personal coverage\u003c/a>. Although only a handful of reports have surfaced of this actually occurring, the word among drivers is that it's a definite risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mike Banko, who's been driving for Lyft since December 2012, is typical of that \"don't ask, don't tell\" attitude.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I've been with my insurance company for the past 16 years,\" he said. \"I never have disclosed to them I do ride-share, but they also have never asked.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Does he worry about that?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I do believe they would cover me during a Period 1 accident, but I think they may then drop me. But I’m not 100 percent sure.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Banko said he'd feel less exposed if he could be proactively honest with his insurance company, and he said he intended to get a quote from Farmers, which he's not insured with, as soon as possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I also asked John Han, a longtime San Francisco cab driver, if he'd now consider making the switch to a TNC, because he'd gone partially down that road a couple of years ago, abandoning the attempt because he couldn't get coverage whenever he told an insurer he intended to use his vehicle for ride-service work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Han said no dice, not in 2015.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"That was the case in late 2013, early 2014. I couldn’t get insurance and that was the deal breaker. But since then, \u003ca href=\"http://fortune.com/2014/05/28/in-price-wars-some-uber-and-lyft-drivers-feel-the-crunch/\" target=\"_blank\">Uber and Lyft have gotten into their price war\u003c/a>. So if I'd made the switch back then, I could be expected to make the same amount of money per ride, approximately (as from driving a taxi). But now they’ve made their prices so low, that even with this new insurance product, there’s more to consider. I think nowadays some cab drivers may be making more than the average TNC driver, and that was not the case before.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Is that true? Well, Mike Banko, for one, says he now makes about half of what he used to as a Lyft driver.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>San Francisco Treasurer and Tax Collector Jose Cisneros today reminded independent contractors, including drivers for ride-services such as Uber and Lyft, that they are required by law to register their business with the city by Monday afternoon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Members of the San Francisco Taxi Workers Alliance, however, say that independent contractors driving for ride-services are not registering or annually renewing their business registration certificate, and that the city is not doing enough to compel them to pay the fee required by the city ordinance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A group of taxi drivers gathered inside San Francisco City Hall this afternoon to meet with Cisneros and to hand him a letter requesting that more be done to level the playing field.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The letter from the taxi alliance reads: \"We are providing the same service to the public, but, as far as we know, only we pay the fee.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cisneros said that sometimes the self-employed and independent contractors, such as piano teachers or tennis instructors, can be difficult for his office to detect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said drivers for ride-services also fall into that category and that his office often doesn't have mailing addresses or email addresses of those drivers, therefore making it impossible to deliver notices and collect fees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I hear you,\" Cisneros said to the taxi drivers. \"We absolutely enforce the law.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Cisneros admits that the law isn't perfect and his office doesn't have the manpower to canvass the streets in search of rogue drivers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Barry Korengold, who has been driving a taxi since 1987 and is on the executive board of the taxi alliance, said he thinks Cisneros needs to require ride-service drivers to register.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Korengold said that the taxi company he drives for instructed him to register with the city. If he doesn't renew that registration, and pay the $91 annual fee, the city has his contact information and would levy penalties against him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ride-service drivers aren't compelled to register and won't receive penalties because the city doesn't know who they are or how to contact them, Korengold said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said the treasurer should require employers, such as Uber, Lyft, Sidecar, Wingz, and others, to notify their drivers of their legal responsibilities to the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Korengold said the city's board of supervisors ought to craft an ordinance to allow for increased oversight of these drivers operating businesses on the city's roads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He suggested a sticker be placed on the driver's vehicle to prove their registration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other taxi drivers who gathered at city hall today said they felt that the city is discriminating against them with the unfair application of the city's business registration fee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The taxi alliance maintains that preferential treatment for the ride-service companies extends past the registration fee to background checks, training, insurance, and vehicle inspections.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The taxi alliance's letter to Cisneros states that as a result of that preferential treatment, taxi drivers' incomes have been \"catastrophically cut\" and that, \"as many as 40 percent of drivers are now earning below minimum wage on shifts. Many of us are immigrants with few options to support our families - taxi driving is the only way we house, feed and clothe our families. Our families are suffering.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cisneros said today's Taxpayer Assistance Day event held at City Hall was designed to help all taxpayers complete their business registration renewal by the Monday deadline. He said they can also register online.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He encouraged everyone doing business in San Francisco to register or renew their business by the deadline to avoid additional fees, interest, and penalties.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"meta": {
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"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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},
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"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
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"order": 9
},
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"id": "freakonomics-radio",
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"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
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},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
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},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
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},
"how-i-built-this": {
"id": "how-i-built-this",
"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
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"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
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},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
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},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
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"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
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}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
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},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
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"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
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},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Masters-of-Scale-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
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"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
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"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
"subscribe": {
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
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"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
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},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
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"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
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"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
}
},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
"title": "Perspectives",
"tagline": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991",
"info": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Perspectives_Tile_Final.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Perspectives",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/perspectives/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 14
},
"link": "/perspectives",
"subscribe": {
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"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432309616/perspectives",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/perspectives/category/perspectives/feed/",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvcGVyc3BlY3RpdmVzL2NhdGVnb3J5L3BlcnNwZWN0aXZlcy9mZWVkLw"
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},
"planet-money": {
"id": "planet-money",
"title": "Planet Money",
"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/sections/money/",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/M4f5",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Business--Economics-Podcasts/Planet-Money-p164680/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510289/podcast.xml"
}
},
"politicalbreakdown": {
"id": "politicalbreakdown",
"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Political Breakdown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 5
},
"link": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"subscribe": {
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"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e0c2d153-ad36-4c8d-901d-f1da6a724824/political-breakdown",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/572155894/political-breakdown",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/political-breakdown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/07RVyIjIdk2WDuVehvBMoN",
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