ATLANTA — There was a protest outside of the Lyft hub in northwest Atlanta Wednesday.
The rally is part of a worldwide movement involving rideshare drivers, and many of them decided to not give rides.
They chanted and held homemade signs, vowing to not pick up any passengers for 12 hours.
Drivers said their salaries have dropped drastically. Some drivers were making 80% of each ride. Channel 2's Rikki Klaus spoke with a number of drivers and many report earning less than 50% now.
Some called it corporate slavery. Others said the company is putting their lives at risk, amid unsafe policies.
“Last year, what I earned working 40 hours in a week, I now have to work 70 hours in a week,” Malcolm P. said.
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He said Lyft and Uber might call drivers the heart of their companies, but they’re mistreating them and ignoring their issues.
“Uber can unilaterally make decisions regarding anything including pay and we just have to roll over and accept it,” Malcolm P. said.
“The passengers are not the only ones putting their life in jeopardy,” Alicia Dukes said.
Dukes is too traumatized to drive anymore after she said a passenger sitting behind the driver’s seat sexually assaulted her.
“He then tried to force his hands in between my legs, and I was pushing him away from me and telling him to stop, to leave the vehicle, and he wouldn’t,” Dukes said.
She wants a background check for passengers.
“I just hope this movement will bring awareness to these companies and that they can do better by their drivers,” Dukes said.
Another driver told Klaus a man touched her inappropriately just this week.
There will be a Georgia rideshare drivers’ meeting in the next month to determine specific demands for Uber and Lyft.
Cox Media Group
