on-demand economy

20 Oct

Protesters Say Uber and Lyft Are Still Failing Their Blind Passengers

stp2y0 CommentsRAG modelsAccessibility, cities, Lyft, on-demand economy, public transportation, uber

Michelle Barlak, public relations manager for The Seeing Eye, which provides guide dogs for people with visual impairments, tells WIRED that the organization has received “frequent and increasing reports of rideshare access denials from Seeing Eye dog handlers.” A survey by the nonprofit Guide Dogs for the Blind found 83 percent of members said they had been denied rides.Both Uber and Lyft offer in-app options for people to specify that they’re traveling with a pet, which usually involves paying slightly more. But since guide dogs aren’t pets, people with visual impairments cannot be required to use this option.A Lyft spokesperson…

23 May

Drivers Are Rising Up Against Uber’s ‘Opaque’ Pay System

stp2y0 CommentsRAG modelscities, on-demand economy, uber

On Wednesday morning a small group of people huddled over their phones at the foot of the giant glass skyscraper that houses Uber’s London headquarters. They were running an experiment in an attempt to solve one of the greatest mysteries in the platform economy right now: How Uber’s algorithm calculates driver pay.Beneath flags and banners calling on Uber to “Stop Dynamic Pricing,” one driver ordered a ride, acting as a customer to Heathrow Airport, and received a quote for £46. Seconds later, the job pinged up on the phone of a fellow protester, who had told the app he was…