COMPANIES ARE HOLDING UP AMID
THE PANDEMIC.
>> PASSENGERS IN CHICAGO AND
AROUND THE U.S. HAVE BEEN
COMPLAINING ABOUT A SHORTAGE OF
RIDESHARE DRIVERS IN MONTHS WITH
FEWER LYFT AND UBER DRIVERS ON
THE ROAD CUSTOMERS SAY THEY ARE
FACING LONG WAITS AND HIGH
PRICES.
LAST WEEK, A MEMBER OF CHICAGO
CITY COUNCIL PROPOSED PUTTING A
CAP ON SO-CALLED SURGE PRICING.
JOINING US TO DISCUSS THE
RIDESHARE SHORTAGE ARE REVEREND
WALTER TURNER PASTOR OF YOUTH
SPIRITUAL LIGHT MISSIONARY
BAPTIST CHURCH AND AN ADVOCATE
FOR RIDESHARING IN CHICAGO.
>> ALDERMAN BRENDAN REILLY OF
THE 42nd WARD WHO PROPOSED
THE CAP ON SURGE PRICING AND
KEVIN NELSON IS A RIDESHARE
DRIVER AND ORGANIZER WITH THE
INDEPENDENT DRIVERS GUILD.
LYFT DID NOT RESPOND TO OUR
INVITATION AND A SPOKESPERSON
FOR UBER SAID...
JAVMENT KEVIN NELSON I WITH LIKE
TO BEGIN WITH YOU.
BEFORE WE GET TO THE ISSUE WITH
SURGE PRICING AND WHAT HAS BEEN
HAPPENING DURING COVID-19 THERE
IS A CONCERN AS I UNDERSTAND IT
AND A GROWING CONCERN ABOUT
CARJACKINGS.
WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM
DRIVERS ABOUT THIS CONCERN?
>> WELL, THAT'S VERY GOOD
QUESTION.
ACTUALLY I WAS SPEAKING TO A
DEALER EARLIER ABOUT THAT.
OVER THE PAST YEAR, THE ASIDE
FROM COVID THE CONCERNS YOU KNOW
JUST THE NEWS OF THE SURGE OF
CARJACKINGS AGAINST RIDESHARE
DRIVERS WHERE THEY ARE ABLE TO
EXPLOIT A SERIOUS FLAW IN THE
APP WHERE THE NEITHER LYFT NOR
UBER DO A JOB REQUIRING
PASSENGERS TO IDENTIFY
THEMSELVES TO ORDER RIDES IN THE
WAY THAT DRIVERS HAVE TO.
SO THAT COMBINATION OF
CIRCUMSTANCES HAS DECIMATED THE
AMOUNT OF DRIVERS.
OUR RECORDS INDICATE THAT THE
AMOUNT OF DRIVERS ACTIVE IN THE
CHICAGO AREA IS DOWN TO ONE
FIFTH OF WHAT THEY WERE JUST ONE
YEAR AGO.
>> YOUR RESPONSE TO CONCERNS
THAT RIDESHARE DRIVERS HAVE
ABOUT THEIR PERSONAL SAFETY?
>> THEY ARE LEGITIMATE CONCERNS.
AND I THINK THE RIGHT SHARE
COMPANIES COULD DO MORE TO
SECURE THEIR DRIVERS AND I ARGUE
THOUGH SEPARATE FROM THE CRIME
ISSUE WHEN YOU HAVE A LABOR
SHORTAGE YOU INCENTIVIZE THE
WORKFORCE TO COME BACK TO WORK.
AND I KNOW RIDESHARE COMPANIES
LIKE UBER AND LYFT ABOUT SIX,
SEVEN WEEKS AGO ANNOUNCED AN
INITIATIVE TO LURE MORE DRIVERS
BACK TO THE ROAD.
IT SEEMS THAT THAT OFFERING IS
TOO WEAK BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT
SEEN THE INFLUX OF DRIVERS WE
EXPECT.
AND FOR CONSUMERS IN CHICAGO,
THEY DON'T HAVE THE COMPETITIVE
PRESSURE OF TAXICABS TO HOLD
THOSE RIDESHARE COMPANIES
ACCOUNTABLE IT IS A SHAME THAT
OFTENTIMES THE RIDESHARE
COMPANIES AND UBER'S STATEMENT
SAID THEY COULD NOT JOIN US THEY
HIDE BEHIND THEIR DRIVERS YET
THEY TREAT THEM SO POORLY.
I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THAT BUT
ALSO HOW POORLY CHICAGO
CONSUMERS ARE BEING TREATED BY
THE SURGE PRICING THAT THE APPS
ARE ENGAGING IN.
>> REVEREND TURNER, YOU'RE
CONCERNED ABOUT THE SHORTAGE OF
DRIVERS AND THE IMPACT IT HAS ON
PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY?
>> YES.
BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE IT IS
AVIECIOUS CYCLE THAT IS
BEGINNING TO HAPPEN ALL OVER
AGAIN WHEN WE HAD THIS WITH CAB
DRIVERS TAXSY DRIVERS IN OUR
COMMUNITIES ON THE SOUTH AND THE
WEST SIDES OF CHICAGO.
MANY SINGLE MOMS, SENIORS, MANY
WERE NOT ABLE TO HAVE EFFECTIVE
SERVICES IN OUR COMMUNITIES TO
GET BACK AND FORTHWITH
TRANSPORTATION.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS MY
COMMUNITY IS CONCERNED ABOUT IS
MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH
DRIVERS AND WE DO KNOW THAT THE
WAY THIS CAP WOULD HURT WOULD BE
THAT WE ALREADY HAVE A SHORTAGE
OF DRIVERS AND THEN MANY OF OUR
RIDERS WOULD BECOME MORE
FRUSTRATED, WILL BECOME MORE
DISAPPOINTED AND MIGHT MAKE SURE
THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO GET AROUND
THE CITY OF CHICAGO.
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT ALDERMAN
REILLY LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR
PROPOSAL BECAUSE IT WOULD CAP
SURGE PRICING AT 150% OF THE
COMPANY'S REGULAR FARE.
VIOLATING THE CAP WOULD TRIGGER
A $100 FINE AND THREE VIOLATIONS
IN A 12-MONTH PERIOD COULD MEAN
A SUSPENDED OR REVOKED LICENSE.
WHY IS CAPPING SURGE PRICING THE
RIGHT MOVE RIGHT NOW?
>> AND TO BE CLEAR THOSE
PENALTIES WOULD BE PAID BY THE
PLATFORM NOT THE INDIVIDUAL
DRIVER THAT IS IMPORTANT TO
NOTE.
WE ARE NOT TARGETING DRIVERS
WITH ENFORCEMENT ON THIS.
BUT THE SURGE CAP IS IMPORTANT.
I'VE BEEN GETTING A LOT OF
CONCERNS FROM NOT JUST RESIDENTS
BUT PEOPLE WHO WORK DOWNTOWN.
AND FOR FOLKS THAT WORK LATER AT
NIGHT, NURSES, BARTENDERS,
COCKTAIL WAITRESSES GETTING OFF
AT 3-4:00 A.M. A FARE USED TO BE
10 OR 15 DOLLARS AND NOW COSTING
THEM 50 OR 60 AND THEY ARE
HAVING TO MAKE A DECISION FOR
THEIR SAFETY MANY GOING HOME
WITH TIPS IN THEIR POCKETS DO I
SPEND MY HARD-EARNED MONEY ON
THAT SURGE PRICE FARE OR RISK MY
LIFE TAKING PUBLIC
TRANSPORTATION AT 3-4:00 A.M.
AND THAT IS A DIFFICULT DECISION
FOR FOLKS AND THAT IS MY PRIMARY
CONCERN.
BUT LIMITING SURGE PRICING ON A
$10 FARE, TO $15, I THINK IS
REASONABLE.
I'D LIKE TO SEE THE RIDESHARE
COMPANIES DIG DEEPER IN THEIR
MARKET CAP.
UBER AND $96 BILLION MARKET CAP
WITH A B AND THEY CAN'T FIND
MORE IN THAT PROFIT MARGIN FOR
THEIR DRIVERS?
THAT IS RIDICULOUS.
SO PITTING CHICAGO CONSUMERS
AGAINST DRIVERS IS WRONG.
I THINK THE COMPANY NEEDS TO
STEP UP AND DO WHAT IS RIGHT.
>> KEVIN NELSON YOUR REACTION TO
THE PROPOSED SURGE CAP?
>> ACTUALLY, YES, I DEFINITELY
HAVE ONE.
ALDERMAN REILLY WE HAVE MADE A
NUMBER OF ATTEMPTS TO ASK YOU TO
MEET WITH US REGARDING YOUR
PROPOSED FARE CAP BUT TO SUM UP
OUR POSITION ON THAT, WE STAND
WITH YOU.
WE BELIEVE THAT PASSENGERS ARE
BEING CHARGED WAY TOO MUCH FOR
THE RIDES.
YOU KNOW, 150% MAXIMUM 200% WE
BELIEVE IS A FAIR FARE CAP BUT
THE ONE FACTOR WE'RE FAILING TO
KEEP IN MIND IS THAT UBER AND
LYFT TAKEOVER 50% OF THE FARE
FOR EVERY RIDE.
SO IF YOU PROPOSE A FARE CAP
THERE NEEDS TO BE A CAP ON THE
COMMISSIONS THAT IS BEING
COLLECTED BY UBER AND LYFT AS
WELL AS THE CITY SO THAT THE
DRIVERS ARE BEING PAID FAIRLY IF
THERE IS A CAP ON THE
COMMISSIONS WITHOUT A CAP ON THE
COMMISSIONS IT'S GOING TO
DESTROY THE ENTIRE INDUSTRY FOR
RIDESHARE DRIVERS.
>> REVEREND TURNER ARE THE
RIDESHARE COMPANIES OVERREACHING
AND CHARGING AS MUCH AS THEY
ARE?
IS IT A TYPE OF GOUGING?
>> WELL, PHIL, ONE OF THE THINGS
WE DID BECAUSE AS A LEADER IN
THE COMMUNITY AND AS AN ADVOCATE
FOR WORKERS ESPECIALLY WHEN WE
HAVE BEEN IN THE PANDEMIC FOR
OVER 63 WEEKS IT HAS BOTHERED
MANY OF US FAITH LEADERS BECAUSE
IT WAS SOMETHING THAT MANY OF
OUR DRIVERS HAVE LOST WAGES.
MANY OF OUR DRIVERS, MAN, NOT
ONLY DRIVERS BUT MANY DURING
THIS PANDEMIC HAVE LOST THEIR
JOBS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE ASKED
UBER TO DO WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT
THEY LOOKED AFTER THEIR DRIVERS.
BECAUSE THESE ARE PEOPLE EMPLOY
EAST THAT HAVE FAMILIES, THEY
HAVE INCOMES, THEY HAVE
MORTGAGES, THEY HAVE RENTS, THEY
HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR
FAMILY.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY
INSTITUTED WAS A $250 MILLION
PROGRAM TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE
ABLE TO MAKE SURE THEIR DRIVERS
WERE LOOKED AFTER AND TAKEN CARE
OF.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS NOT
OVERNIGHT.
BUT ALL OF THIS AS MY FELLOW
BROTHERS ARE ON WITH ME TONIGHT,
WE KNOW THAT THIS IS GOING TO
TAKE A PROCESS.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE
NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WORK
TOGETHER ON TO MAKE SURE THAT NO
ONE LOSES A JOB AT A TIME WHEN
UNEMPLOYMENT ACROSS THIS COUNTRY
IS AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH WE NEED
TO CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE
ARE ABLE TO WORK AND STILL ABLE
TO TAKE MONEY HOME AND NOT OUT
OF THEIR POCKET.
>> THANK YOU.
ALL OF YOU THANK YOU FOR YOUR
TIME AND INSIGHTS IT'S WHERE WE
HAVE TO LEAVE IT.