Uber has been pushing back hard against the common carrier proposal: emails and push notifications to customers, a reported six-figure ad buy on popular radio stations, web banners on news sites covering the General Assembly and plenty of lobbying.
Uber
Uber and Lyft are currently exempt from the so-called “common carrier” standard that applies to other forms of transportation like taxis, railroads and airlines. Some Illinois lawmakers want to change that.
Activists said "bad actors" lie about rideshare and delivery drivers to avoid paying. The Chicago ordinance would allow app drivers accused of misconduct to share their story and recoup income if they were found to be unfairly deactivated.
A spokesperson for Uber, said firm officials were “pleased to put this matter behind us.”
Shared rides were a key part of how the founders of Uber and Lyft envisioned disrupting transportation. Back in 2014, the companies raced each other to be first to announce their carpooling options. Then the pandemic hit, and the companies swiftly suspended their shared offerings.
Uber and Lyft say they’ve added thousands of drivers in recent weeks to address long wait times and surge pricing. But many passengers are still unhappy and some are turning to taxis — an industry hit hard by the popularity of ride-share services and by COVID-19.
A Chicago alderman wants ride-share companies to cap surge pricing amid a driver shortage, and drivers want Uber and Lyft to do more to keep them safe.
Amid a surge in carjackings, drivers for ride-hailing companies have been working in close contact with other people during the pandemic. Meanwhile, those companies are gearing up for a fight over whether gig workers should be classified as employees.
A Chicago man has been indicted in connection with the carjacking of an Uber Eats driver in Chicago, another carjacking in Cicero and an attempted carjacking in Oak Park, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Ride-hailing giant Uber will allow customers to book its cars and drivers by the hour in Chicago starting Tuesday as the coronavirus pandemic continues to reduce demand for one-way trips.
When Uber burst onto the scene a decade ago, it dramatically reshaped how we get around. But the story inside the company was just as dramatic. Mike Isaac, author of the new book “Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber,” explains.
As part of a long anticipated safety report, the ride-hailing company revealed that more than 3,000 sexual assaults were reported during its U.S. rides in 2018.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Wednesday alleged that ride-hailing giant Uber offered to pay off black ministers to the tune of $54 million if they would join a campaign to publicly oppose a $40 million ride-hailing tax proposal – a claim the company denies.
If you rely on ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft to get around Chicago, your fare could soon be higher. How a fee hike could impact Chicagoans – and the city.
The CEO of Uber is in town for a major expansion of its Chicago offices. We go one-on-one with him on that and explore issues facing the industry.
Chicago commuters seeking a ride Wednesday may have better luck hailing a cab than using their smartphones to call for a car, due to a multistate strike by some Uber and Lyft drivers.
