‘Too many new drivers’: Seattle-area rideshare drivers demand action

SEATTLE, Wash. — Wednesday morning, a group of rideshare drivers circled the UBER offices in Seattle to protest current work conditions. According to a news release, the group says UBER and LYFT are flooding the streets with too many drivers, which is causing congestion in the city and cutting down on their wages.

Drivers told KIRO 7 that the huge increase has made it very difficult to make a living wage.  Before they might get 20 or 30 customers in a shift but now they say it’s down to a handful, sometimes one or two.

“Driver oversaturation leads to idle time and unnecessary deadheading miles as drivers circle city blocks and relocate to new locations in hopes of matching with a passenger,” the release states.

To make their point, the drivers, joined by Drivers Union, Transportation Choices Coalition, and the Transit Riders Union, will flood the roads surrounding the UBER offices at 2nd & Seneca to replicate the congestion they feel they’re facing daily.

The drivers also demanded the companies stop ‘price gouging’ riders. Rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft use surge pricing, or dynamic pricing, to increase fares based on demand, which can lead to accusations of price gouging.

KIRO 7 has reached out to UBER for comment and is waiting to hear back.

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