Hereโs what we know about Uber and Lyftโs planned exit from Minneapolis in May
The future of Uber and Lyft in Minneapolis has garnered concern and debate in recent weeks after the City Council voted last month to require that ride-hailing companies pay drivers a higher rate while they are within city limits.
Lyft and Uber say they will leave Minneapolis after city council forces them to pay drivers more
Lyft and Uber say they will cease operations in Minneapolis after the cityโs council voted Thursday to override a mayoral veto and require ride-hailing services to increase driver wages to the equivalent of the local hourly minimum wage of $15.57.
Cocoa Beach detectives stop serial scammer stealing from elderly
It was an incredible stroke of luck combined with solid detective work that stopped a serial scammer responsible for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars, maybe millions, from the elderly across Central Florida, according to police.
New rule tightens worker classification standards; Uber, Lyft say their drivers won't be affected
The Biden administration has enacted a new labor rule that aims to prevent the misclassification of workers as โindependent contractors,โ a step that could bolster both legal protections and compensation for millions in the U.S. workforce.
Uber and Lyft to pay $328 million to settle dispute over taxes and fees paid by New York drivers
Ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft will pay a combined $328 million to settle complaints that they improperly saddled their New York drivers with taxes and fees that should have been been paid by passengers.
Lyft to pick up new CEO amid deepening post-pandemic losses
Lyft co-founders Logan Green and John Zimmer are relinquishing their leadership roles to make way for a former Amazon executive as the ride-hailing service struggles to recover from the pandemic while long-time rival Uber has been regaining its momentum.
Uber, Lyft team up on database to expose abusive drivers
Uber and Lyft have teamed up to create a database of drivers ousted from their ride-hailing services for complaints about sexual assault and other crimes that have raised passenger-safety concerns for years. The clearinghouse unveiled Thursday, March 11, will initially list drivers expelled by the ride-hailing rivals in the U.S. Michael Wolfe, a Uber driver who also leads a Washington state group representing about 2,000 other drivers, praised both ride-hailing services for trying to weed out the abuses in the industry. AdIt could also help appease U.S. lawmakers, who have criticized Uber and Lyft in the past for inadequate safety protections for their riders. After Uber rebuffed the request to protect the victims' privacy, the agency slapped the company with a $59 million fine.
California court rejects lawsuit challenging ride-share vote
FILE - In this Jan. 12, 2016, file photo, a ride-share car displays Lyft and Uber stickers on its front windshield in downtown Los Angeles. The California Supreme Court has rejected a challenge to the ballot measure that kept app-based ride-hailing and delivery drivers independent contractors instead of employees eligible for benefits and job protections. The court on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021, declined to hear the case brought by drivers and unions who had opposed the measure. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)LOS ANGELES โ The California Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit Wednesday that sought to overturn a ballot measure that makes app-based ride-hailing and delivery drivers independent contractors instead of employees eligible for benefits and job protections. โWeโre thankful, but not surprised, that the California Supreme Court has rejected this meritless lawsuit,โ said Jim Pyatt, a Modesto retiree who drives for Uber, in a statement from a group that supports Proposition 22.
Some Uber, Lyft drivers sue over California ballot measure
The measure, which was passed in November with 58% support, was the most expensive in state history with Uber, Lyft and other services pouring $200 million in support of it. โGenerally speaking, courts in California don't like to overturn the will of the people,โ Moylan said. There are instances where the California courts have come in and said ... it's nice that this is what the people wanted to do, but our constitution doesn't permit the people to do this." The law expanded a California Supreme Court ruling that limited businesses from classifying certain workers as independent contractors. Another claim in the lawsuit alleges the measure violates a rule limiting ballot measures to a single subject.
Missing Volusia teen last seen getting into Lyft at Walmart
Emily Gustafsson was last seen on surveillance video getting into a Lyft at Walmart. VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. โ Volusia County deputies say theyโre looking for a missing 17-year-old girl who was last seen getting into a Lyft at Walmart. Emily Gustafsson, 17, left her home in DeBary Tuesday morning and walked to Walmart on Charles R. Beall Boulevard, where a Lyft driver picked her up. She was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and black pants. Anyone with information concerning her whereabouts is asked to call 911 or contact Detective Martir at 386-248-1777 or via email at jmartir@vcso.us.
World shares post modest gains with focus on virus recovery
Shares were mostly higher Wednesday in Asia after a worldwide rally spurred by hopes that a COVID-19 vaccine will help the global economy return to normal. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)Stocks fell back across Asia on Thursday after gains for big technology shares pushed most Wall Street benchmarks higher. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index gained 0.4% to 25,459.13 despite a report that machinery orders fell in September, suggesting weakness in corporate investment. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index fell 0.1% to 26,206.78 and the Shanghai Composite index declined 0.3% to 3,332.24. Strategists along Wall Street are raising their forecasts for stock prices on expectations that political control of Washington will remain split between the parties.
Are public transportation, ride hailing services safe during coronavirus pandemic?
If you need to hire a car or hail a cab during the pandemic, consider a few safety steps. Masks are mandatory for drivers and riders using Lyft and Uber. Lyft instituted a health safety program, requiring everyone to agree to ride only if symptom free, to keep vehicles clean, ride in the back seat, and open windows when possible. โBut of course, the big answer to that is wear your mask.โJoe Allen directs the Healthy Buildings Program at Harvard University. Both Uber and Lyft suspended shared ride options in March, so you wonโt be riding with any strangers in the back seat.
Ride-hailing, delivery giants win fight against labor law
Uber, Lyft, Doordash, Instacart and others sought to get out of those requirements, and after failing in court, succeeded in convincing voters to give them an exemption from most of the year-old lawโs provisions. A record $200 million spending spree by the companies and their supporters helped them win the vote. The investment yielded a huge return for Uber and Lyft, whose combined market value climbed by $10 billion on Wednesday. Uber told its drivers the company would let drivers know how to enroll in benefits in the next few weeks. โItโs not really fair that Uber, Lyft etc.
California court says Uber, Lyft drivers are employees
SAN FRANCISCO โ A California appeals court on Thursday upheld an order requiring Uber and Lyft to treat their California drivers as employees instead of independent contractors, less than two weeks before voters will be asked to exempt the ride-hailing giants from the state's gig economy law. Uber and Lyft โ who along with DoorDash have heavily bankrolled the ballot measure โ had appealed an August preliminary injunction by a San Francisco judge. Uber and Lyft issued statements noting that the ruling doesn't take immediate affect and urging voters to approve Prop. Treating Uber and Lyft drivers as employees instead of independent contractors would guarantee benefits such as overtime, sick leave and expense reimbursement for workers who make up much of the freewheeling gig economy. Lawyers for Uber and Lyft say drivers are not fundamental to the business, arguing the companies are โmulti-sided platformsโ whose activities encompass much more than transportation.
Uber, Lyft look to kill California law on app-based drivers
Voters are being asked to decide via Proposition 22 whether to create an exemption to a new state law aimed at providing wage and benefit protections to Uber, Lyft and other app-based drivers. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)LOS ANGELES โ Californians are being asked to decide if Uber, Lyft and other app-based drivers should remain independent contractors or be eligible for the benefits that come with being company employees. Voters are weighing whether to create an exemption to a new state law aimed at providing wage and benefit protections to drivers. The landmark labor law known known as AB5 threatens to upend the app-based business model, which offers great flexibility to drivers who can work whenever they choose. Uber and Lyft have maintained that their drivers meet the criteria to be independent contractors, not employees.
Attorney for deputy accused of pointing gun at Lyft driver claims self defense
Orange County Sheriff John Mina said on Monday that if the allegations of aggravated assault with a firearm against now-suspended Deputy Troy Heyer are true, he will fire him. [PREVIOUS: Deputy arrested for pointing gun at Lyft driver, police say]The Lyft driver told police he had dropped off Heyer at his Lake Nona-area home and sat in Heyerโs driveway to file a complaint with Lyft when Heyer approached with a gun, according to the report, and asked, โWhat are you doing here?โThe Lyft driver said he feared for his life. โTroy Heyer stated he did not know anything about the incident and that we woke him up,โ police wrote. โTroy Heyer stated he used Uber or Lyft to get home. Lyft released the following statement regarding the incident:โSafety is fundamental to Lyft and we have a strict no weapons policy.
Shaq gives 'Lyft' to customers in Atlanta
ATLANTA โ With the popularity of on-demand ride-services like Uber and Lyft on the rise, former NBA All Star Shaquille O'Neal has decided to get in on the action. However, the former Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers star decided to go undercover to do so. The big man sung with passengers, asked them about their favorite basketball players and gave a glowing endorsement of his 1996 box office bomb "Kazaam."