STOP ILLEGAL RIDE SHARING

We are Philadelphia Limousine Drivers.  We want to address the PA State Senate, PUC, PPA and people of Philadelphia. We are filling this Change petition for stopping ILLEGAL ride sharing like Uber X & Lyft in city of Philadelphia. All of us work with Uber Black. We would like to create awareness in people of Philadelphia and people around the world about ride sharing companies (Uber & Lyft) or you can say TNC (Transportation Network Companies). We tried to raise our voice at different places but failed. Most of us are not well educated. We are requesting everyone to please come forward and help us fight the system which is taking food away from our tables. We aren’t getting justice and we need your help.

It’s our humble request to all the readers to understand that why we are against illegal ride sharing system and how these companies are forcing this system on everyone. How this system effecting everybody lives as a driver and as a rider. We will go through each and every issue and will explain as best as we can. We are drivers so please don’t expect high end grammar English.

Once you are done reading this petition you will definitely know why drivers across the world are going crazy and screaming that Uber X and Lyft are illegal.

After reading this article today if you think that this system needs to be change than go ahead sign for the change.

 

What is Uber & Lyft?

                                    These companies hold taxi brokerage license in which means if you are looking for ride they will find you independent third party transportation providers (A.K.A Uber Driver). Now Philadelphia have three ride sharing options Uber Black (limousine which is totally legal and works 100% according to the law), Uber X (Drivers Personal Cars) & Lyft (Drivers Personal Cars). Uber agreement with rider clearly states uber third party service that in no event shall Uber be responsible or liable for any products or services of such third party providers.

 

Q. Are They Allowed to provide rides in personal car in Philadelphia?

Answer: No. PPA (Philadelphia Parking Authority) is regulatory authority in Philadelphia and they never approved uber X and Lyft. PPA requirement list is:

Requirements                         Uber X  & Lyft

Commercial Insurance               Failed
Driver’s Physical Test                 Failed
Driver’s Drug Test                       Failed
Driver’s transportation license    Failed
Information about vehicle           Failed

Q. Regardless of law and authority, IS UBER X AND LYFT ARE SAFE?

 

Answer: To know the answer you need to understand their hiring system. Uber X and Lyft application can be filled online. Drivers also send the picture of their state driving license, Insurance card (noncommercial insurance) and registration. It takes about two weeks for another third party do background check and once driver is approved. After approval driver receive link to download app and start making money for uber. During the whole hiring process uber doesn’t meet the driver or inspect his/her car. It clearly means that uber doesn’t care about people safety that’s why they show no care. Now once the app is downloaded than anyone can drive uber doesn’t who you are or if your cars headlights are working fine or the tires are in good condition according to the weather.

Uber doesn’t take single step to ensure their riders safety.

On the other hand Lyft at least send some driver to meet new driver. Now when two unexperienced drivers will meet each other than results will be always positive because both of them don’t know what safety is.

Uber & Lyft are also very unfair to their own driver which you will find out later on in this article, how they manipulate with their drivers.

Uber X & Lyft Slogans or Agenda’s

1.      Cheap Rides:

Uber X and Lyft Provide cheap rides because they don’t have any expenses like commercial vehicles, they don’t need pay for any commercial licenses or permits and also their drivers make nothing. We will show you their earning calculations later on in this article.

2.      Safe Rides:

As we explained they don’t even know who are these drivers are. Uber and Lyft doesn’t know if their driver are physically or mentally fit to provide the services.

3.      Creating Jobs:

They advertise about giving people jobs more than they do anything. Recently Uber CEO said that future is driver less robotic cars that means at once we will get with large number of unemployment by Uber X drivers. That’s the future plan he have for us drivers.

4.      Technology:

We actually agree with them on this technology. The whole world loves technology. When uber launched all of us have welcomed the technology and most of us have switched from cabs and other professions to uber because we were so happy with system.

 

Introduction about Philadelphia Transportation System

 

Taxicab: A transportation vehicle work with medallion or some cities without medallion under state transportation commission or local transportation Authority. Medallion need commercial Insurance. Driver needs to pass English and knowledge of test to get limousine driving license by the authority.

Limousine: A luxury transportation vehicle works with certificate issued by transportation authority.  Vehicle require commercial Insurance. Driver require 7 year background check by transportation authority. Driver need to pass physical test and drug test. Driver needs to pass English and knowledge of city test to get limousine driving license by the authority.

Uber Black: A limousine dispatch technology but works just like taxi cab by mileage and time. Drivers and Vehicle are already licensed by authorities.

Uber X & Lyft: Any personal vehicle 10 year old or newer with no commercial insurance (except uber invisible safe rider insurance). Driver doesn't need to have knowledge of city. Driver can have background check from some random third party company. Driver require no physical test and drug test.

 

Uber claims they are creating business and drivers are making more money let’s just discuss some of the statistics.

 

Quantity of Vehicles

There is 1,650 Taxi Cabs, 800 Uber Black Cars and roughly about 200 other limousines but now with ILLEGAL ride sharing there are more than 10,000 uber X and Lyft drivers signed up and no work in the market because there is more supply than demand. 

 

Current Income after expenses

Cab Drivers: $500/week net income for 70 hours of driving. It's $26,000 per year. Driver still have to pay city, state and federal taxes because he is independent contractor so after taxes his estimated income is now $20,000. His average hourly income is $5.49/hour. Thanks to uber.

 

Uber Black: Driver pays 25% uber commission and in case of Suv commission is 28% and after car payment net income is $600/week for 84 hours of driving. It's $33,200 per year. Driver still have to pay city, state and federal taxes because he is independent contractor so after taxes his estimated income is now $26,000. His average hourly income is $5.95/hour. Which is way below the state minimum and tips aren't allowed so driver have nothing. Thanks to uber.

 

Uber X & Lyft Drivers Earnings: There is big variation in their earnings because most of them work part time during busy hours and very few work full time. Full time driver average earning is about $500/week for 70 hours. Now because of their illegal status in Philadelphia we don't think that they will file taxes so their average is about $7.14/hour. All these advertising regarding $25/hr earning or 20/hr are totally false. Just Imagine by making $20/hr a driver can make estimated around $70,000. 

Now except these ILLEGAL ride sharing companies nobody else is making money.

Uber talks about competition which is totally wrong. There is NO COMPETITION BETWEEN LEGAL AND ILLEGAL.

Right now there is Bill 984 in senate which will remove the difference between LEGAL AND ILLEGAL. I guess that's what uber called revolution.

 

Uber Strategy:

Uber technology came in Philadelphia 3 years ago and we welcome them with open arms. We have joined Uber and help them build the business in Philadelphia and suburban areas. Today the people who love uber or use uber is only because of the service which have been provided by drivers. In simple words we are the face of invisible ghost called uber.

Last year uber have launched another product called Uber X. Once we find out about the legality issues of Uber X. We start complaining to management that it's not fair way to create competition for cabs but they were not answering us in any positive way than 300 uber black drivers did protest against uber X drivers. Uber came to protest and stopped the protest on a note that we can discuss this issue in office. We were informed by uber that soon Uber X will become legal and will come under authority. 

Everything uber said was proved to be a lie. Uber just wanted to create market and till than they wanted everyone to be quiet.

Now uber X after completing 1 year in Philadelphia is still ILLEGAL. We wonder why nobody is stopping them. There was orders issued from state Uber X is Illegal and PPA (Philadelphia authority for regulating taxi and limousine) start impounding the Uber X cars also issued them citation. There was also Philadelphia police department news came out they will arrest those illegal driver unfortunately nothing ever happened. When nothing happened to uber X than Lyft also joined them 6 months ago. We kept waiting for some authority to take actions against this illegal ridesharing system (Uber X and Lyft). 

 

Dirty Tools of Uber

 

Uber Ratings:

Ratings are basically a tool uber use to manipulate and control them. Driver always stay nice to uber representatives with that they can adjust their rating if needed.

Uber Partners:

                        The term “Uber Partners” is one of most misused and abused term by Uber. Uber use Uber Partner term for their drivers (Third Party Transportation Provider). If we are their partner why doesn’t uber ask us before taking decisions about our business, if we are uber employees where is our benefits and rights and if we are independent contractors than why does uber deactivate us on behalf of ratings. We are actually uber Ghosts.

Uber Vehicles:

Driver financed their vehicle through uber referred banks and car dealers at extremely high interest rate from 16% to 33% APR.

Uber Surge Prices:

What really surprises us is the Surge Prices. As Uber Drivers we are totally against those surge prices First issue is because 90% of the times there is surge in the system without any demand. It decreases the chances of getting a ride request for drivers and Second reason is because if a customer see 10 cars around him and still there is 4.0X surge and he pays $60 for $15 ride than he is definitely not happy with the system and It effects on drivers ratings and uber statistics proves that.

 

STOP ILLEGAL RIDE SHARING

Now at the end of this petition I hope people will understand that we are suffering financially. Our families are getting effected and we have nowhere to go. We are part of this city and country where people says and also believe that NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW. We work hard to feed our families just like everybody else with other professions. Uber is only good for their selves and no one else. Everywhere in the world where uber is running their system people are protesting. Theses protests are from everyone including Taxi Cab Drivers, Uber Black Drivers and from Uber X Drivers. We need you help to raise our voice in Philadelphia. There is a BILL 984 in senate right now which needs to be stopped before they ruin our industry for good. If we don’t say nothing today there will other uber in other industry and they will win against the law and we will have a shallow country. Now it's your signature which will decide the faith of uber and this city.

 

Best Regards

Philadelphia Limousine Association