PHOENIX — The influence of hovering gasoline costs is forcing rideshare drivers to take a stand, with tons of nationwide planning to strike on Thursday. This comes throughout one of many busiest rideshare weeks within the Valley. Not solely is it St. Patrick’s Day, however Spring Training video games are additionally getting underway. A strike means in the event you want a journey, you might not discover one and in the event you do, it may price you huge.
Liza Brun loves working as a rideshare driver within the Valley
“Giving them safe rides,” says Liza Brun, rideshare driver.
She’s accomplished greater than 17,000 rides in six and a half years. But currently, she says it has been tough.
“It’s hard to pay bills, and sometimes I don’t have food,” says Brun.
The rising gasoline costs are hitting drivers exhausting. Uber and Lyft tried to assist offset that, with a brief surcharge put on the riders. Many do not consider it does sufficient.
“Last week I drove seven days in a row. I spent over $250 in gasoline so, that doesn’t even cut it,” says Brun.
They aren’t the one ones upset, so are these relying on a journey.
“We are going to our hotel in Peoria and that’s how much it’s going to cost… $100. Yea, it’s pretty high but it’s almost the only alternative because rental cars are super expensive also. So, it seems any means of transportation right now, all the prices have gone up,” says Ibeth Hernandez, a rider.
ABC15 additionally investigated the charges. A visit from Sky Harbor to Old Town Scottsdale Tuesday night was practically $40 on Uber and greater than $40 on Lyft.
As for drivers, they’re taking a stand. A strike is deliberate worldwide on St. Patrick’s Day. The man behind it, Torsten Kunert, used to reside within the Valley. He says the excessive gasoline costs just isn’t the one problem.
“For now, give them proper assistance. It backfires when you are offering such small change. You’re taking that away from the rider and passing it onto the driver. The balance here has to be right,” says Torsten Kunert, often called the Rideshare Professor.
Other core complaints are underpaid drivers, overcharged riders, and poor security.
“To be a driver, you go through a day or two background check. It’s something simple that we all do. So, I think that passengers could do the same,” says Stephen Moss, rideshare driver.
Moss from Phoenix says he is collaborating within the driver strike, hoping it is step one in making a distinction.
“It’s just a day but, I mean, I think it’s important just to kind of send a message that we’re important too,” says Moss.