RIDEGURU
This is good, right? Combatting sleepy and overworked drivers.
"Uber has added a feature that will force a six-hour offline break whenever a driver on its platform reaches 12 hours of driving time. The feature is similar to one that Uber has in place in a few markets already around the U.S., which differs depending on local regulations, but this will apply across the U.S., and fully block use of the driver app for accepting trips during the six-hour period when it becomes active."
"Uber’s decision to roll this out was made as a response to the problem of drowsy driving and driver fatigue, both of which are issues that continue to affect people on the road, even if driving while using mobile devices and intoxicated driving get more press and scrutiny."
and it looks like they put some thoughts into this:
"The Uber feature implementation will trigger when a driver has driven 12 hours without taking a continual, six-hour break at any point between. Drivers will have full visibility into how much driving they’ve done according to Uber, which measures based on a number of factors, and will count things like when you’re stopped at a stoplight (your brain is still engaged in the driving activity, even if you’re temporarily stopped), but won’t count time spent waiting in an airport parking lot to be called for a pickup, for instance, since many drivers use these as napping and rest opportunities."
Comments
What the hell. This is total whack. This just means we cannot put in a workday longer than 12 hours. I go out there at 5:30AM and they expect me to stop at 5:30PM and miss the busy times?
But what happens if I take a nap in the car from 12-3? Then how much more can I work? This new rule sounds so noble and makes sense on paper, but the and details will really matter to the drivers.
Holy cow. Did everyone see the note on Chicago? Only 10 hours a day? That's harsh. and they count all the hours the app is open and it includes time you are waiting for a fare. Ouch!!!
Can't the driver just switch apps? Say from Uber to Lyft? Then you can work 20 hours.
Umm, wait.. No. You can't. This is a law placed by city ordinances. You may be skirting the measure put into place by Uber but you are still breaking the law.
Wow, 10 hours really isn't a lot. Most people these days in jobs across all industries put 10 hours in a day. This seems a little too strict.
So much for being your own boss. So much for the freedom of being an independent contractor.
Seriously, won't this go against the thing about being an independent contractor? The employer cannot dictate the hours the work?
I guess.. whatever happened to "be your own boss" "work on your own time" etc. etc.
They just became another step to becoming a taxi company. This is definitely not peer to peer. It's like being told how often I am allowed to use the internet.
Amen.
And it'll be gone together with taxi companies when the AVs arrive. Poof.
Next thing you know, they will start handing out licenses to keep the number of drivers in control. and start charging 100s of thousand of dollars for each.
hahah the medallion.
You know...the irony is that people are looking into AV vehicle regulations and how each one should be registered just like the flying RC drones were. So we laugh about the medallion system now, but soon we will get there.
deep. so we are gonna do a full 360. or 180 or wahtever.
Uber disrupted the medallion system and brought back the free market. and now it'll be gone again. over priced licenses that huge corporations can afford and the price will skyrocket. we will talk about Uber in the business school books and it'll just be a part of an interesting business case where people fought the power and the power won.
I'd hate to tell you but there is no such thing as free market. it's an illusion of freedom.
As a driver it's BS. 12 hour shift is nothing. Sometimes long hours is the only way to make a living this crappy job and now they're clamping down on us.
As a taxi driver, I've had 24 hour shifts. That was the norm
Remember though. This doesn't count the time you spend waiting for a fare, assuming you are staying put. I mean, who drives around while waiting for a fare and waste gas? So maybe we are ok.
Uber really needs to define when this forced timeout gets triggered. No one drives 12 hours continuously, and I'm sure taking five minute breaks won't reset the 12-hour timer. So what exactly get counted towards it?
This is our livelihood and we demand to know.
That's what this article says but the Guru guy mentions the Chicago city ordinances how they count the hours while you are waiting for a fare.
Maybe this rule was created for people like you. LOL