atlanta – Dozens of Uber and Lyft drivers at the Atlanta airport shut down the app during the holiday’s busiest travel period. Rideshare drivers told FOX 5 Atlanta they are tired of being paid unfair wages by the companies they work for.
Drivers began shutting down Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport at 4 p.m., the beginning of so-called peak travel time.
The idea was to increase convenience for people who need transportation from the airport. They hoped this would make companies realize that drivers deserve better pay.
“As long as we protest, passengers will continue to be stranded. Maybe that will have an impact,” said one driver.
Drivers told FOX 5 they receive less than 50% of their fare in some cases, and in some cases less than 30%.
“I went for a ride the other day and she said she paid $102 for a 40-minute ride. I got $25 because I had a $5 bonus.” Lyft Driver Deborahć»Mr. Williams said. “That’s ridiculous.”
FOX 5 reached out to both Uber and Lyft for details on how they pay drivers at the airport.
An Uber spokesperson told FOX 5, “When drivers are actively working on the platform, they earn more than $30 an hour in Atlanta.” āDrivers also receive up-front fare and destination information before accepting a ride, and are given full authority to decide what kind of ride it is.ā It’s worth the time. ā
A Lyft spokesperson told FOX 5 that driver pay in Atlanta is divided into three pillars.
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Advance payment: This is the fare the driver pays for each ride. They can see the cost of the ride before you accept the ride. The upfront payment is determined based on a variety of factors, including the estimated time and distance to complete the ride, distance traveled to the pick-up location, ride demand in your area, and other market factors.
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Chip: We keep 100% of the tip chosen by the passenger. We built tipping into the Lyft app to make it easy for riders to show their appreciation, and because we know it’s important for drivers too. Passengers can tip during and after the ride, or set up an automatic tip so they don’t forget.
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Bonus: Lyft offers a variety of bonuses to help increase your earnings. Bonuses are most commonly offered during the busiest times and at the busiest locations. See what’s available in the Lyft Driver app and learn more about driver bonuses.
A Lyft spokesperson said, “Lyft takes driver concerns very seriously and regularly evaluates ways to improve the driver experience on our platform.” āLast year, we introduced a pre-pay system in Georgia and across the country that shows drivers their ride information and how much they can earn before they accept a ride. It also gives drivers a breakdown of their earnings and We also provide a weekly pay summary showing the total amount paid by the rider.ā
The protest continued for hours as more drivers rallied to the cause.
However, FOX 5 Atlanta checked in with passengers at the rideshare zone at the Atlanta airport. Many of them said they had no problem ordering an Uber or Lyft.
“We had no problems tonight. We scored one goal in three minutes,” Olivia Alexander said.
The protesting drivers said they plan to continue boycotting and will continue to do so until the companies are heard.