To,

 

The Mayor of Chicago,

 

Mr. Mayor,

 

We, the owners and drivers of Blackcar Livery in Chicago, would like to extend our congratulations on your election victory. We haven't had the opportunity to meet you in person, so we are taking this chance to bring some important matters to your attention.

 

A happy and healthy driver is not only beneficial for the passengers but also for the city. We, the drivers of the BlackCar Livery community in Chicago, would like to highlight the following issues for your consideration:

 

Driving is not just a job for us; it's our livelihood to support our families, providing them with basic necessities like food, clothing, education, shelter, and medical care, among others. However, our slow season, which typically lasts from October to May, poses significant challenges. During this period, we rely on our savings, credit cards, loans, and other sources of funding to make ends meet, and many of us have exhausted these resources.

 

Since your election, the city has seen an increase in LY-plated Livery vehicles, with reports suggesting the addition of 3000 more, while 500 were rolled out. This influx of extra vehicles has made it increasingly difficult for us, the drivers, to earn a decent living.

A single vehicle owner / operator (driver) has to pay a minimum $1650 to a Maximum $3200 a month to cover car payments, plus insurance (typically  $500 - $700 per month), gas, oil change, high maintenance costs (to keep the vehicle in good standard), Ground Tax, MPEA stamps and yearly City and State renewal fees expenses. Aggregating from $40,000 min to $62,000 max a year depending on the make and model of the vehicle. Just the costs to be in the business not including personal expenses.

For those with families to support, the challenge is even greater, as they need to provide for multiple mouths and fulfill the needs of their loved ones. Unfortunately, the surplus of Livery vehicles has made it impossible for many of us to meet these financial requirements.

Rideshare companies may have promoted the idea that there's a shortage of Livery and transport vehicles to meet the demand, but this is misleading. When an event concludes in Chicago, the crowd disperses rapidly, leaving no shortage of available drivers, within an hour and a half. We, the drivers, are the ones on the ground, and we make multiple trips to transport passengers. By the time we complete several trips, the event location is empty, disproving the notion of a supply shortage.

The primary beneficiaries of this oversupply of vehicles are the rideshare companies. We've witnessed 2023 model cars with only 15,000 miles on sale for $45,000. New cars are priced at $55,000 to $120,000, indicating that drivers are struggling to make car payments and are attempting to salvage their credit histories. Some owners have already lost their vehicles in repossession and are trying hard not to lose other vehicles.

If there is no business for old owner operator there is no business for new ones too. A vehicle lost by an owner operator is a vehicle and tax resource lost by the city and state. Livery business has not picked up after 2020. Drivers were not making more than what they use to make before 2020. Issuing more livery plates is counterproductive to the city as it loses its work force in the driving industry, the drivers. If drivers can’t pay their vehicles and support their families, they leave driving.

The situation is much worse for drivers who don't own but are leasing vehicles.

All these decisions happened before you assumed the office. Hence we are making this effort to appraise you of the status of the situation.

 

This situation is exacerbated by several factors:

1. The high cost of vehicles.

2. Oversupply of Livery vehicles.

3. Rideshare companies increasing their share of fares to 55% to 56% on some high-yield routes for Blackcar (Livery) without consultation nor consent of the drivers.

Uber and Lyft initially entered Chicago as taxi apps. When faced with lawsuits from taxicab companies, Uber shifted its focus to Livery as BlackCar service. This transition initially seemed promising for BlackCar Livery drivers. However, Uber began to manipulate drivers' earnings by reducing rates, introducing various tiers, and adding an unregulated number of cars as UberX and Lyft. This undercut the existing income of drivers, forcing BlackCar drivers to accept cheaper rides that were less lucrative than traditional taxi fares.

While BlackCar drivers often work long hours, some unauthorized "fly-by-night" services thrive without proper oversight. Wait times at airports have artificially increased, reaching up to 7 hours on slow days. This has led to overcrowding and frustration, disadvantaging those of us who adhere to discipline and order in our work.

We believe that strict enforcement of a code of conduct for drivers can help alleviate traffic congestion and curb the undisciplined behavior of unauthorized drivers on the streets. Additionally, we face challenges at airport lots, which are currently inconvenient for drivers. We request a closer lot to the terminals, preferably one near the old limo lot on Bessie Coleman Drive, complete with toilets and food facilities, to improve our service to the airport.

We requested the previous administration the same.

To address our hardships, we kindly request your support, Mr. Mayor, in implementing regulations similar to those in New York's rideshare regulations. 

 

These measures include:

1. Stop adding more Livery vehicles and limit them to 3500 only.

2. Reducing wait times to less than 30 minutes at both airports for BlackCars and SUVs.

3. Prioritizing fares for BlackCars and Black SUVs before other tiers.

4. Implementing caps on the number of cars in all tiers (BlackCar, Comfort, UberX/XL, Lyft, Lyft LuxBlack, LuxBlack XL).

5. Rolling back time and distance and Uber percentage to 25% for Black and 30% for SUV pre-01/29/19 levels, with the city taking control of pricing with active driver participation.

6. Banning out-of-state cars and drivers in the city.

7. Imposing significant fines and driver's license suspensions for non-chauffeur drivers caught hustling or driving Livery without requests from any company platform or registered ride providers.

8. Reevaluating incidents and events and reinstating or reactivating where Uber and Lyft have deactivated drivers based on drunken and bad customers complaints without due process.

9. Stopping manipulation of Surge pricing.

10. Ending "Radar Trips," which pose dangerous distractions to drivers while driving; instead, assign that trips to the nearest driver.

11. Implementing periodic inspections by city police to eliminate fake drivers on Uber and Lyft and to remove physically damaged cars from the rideshare system.

12. Banning Comfort, Connect, XL, and their equivalents on Uber and Lyft customer apps to livery BlackCars.

13. Establishing a city IT department with control panels to monitor corporations’ compliance with permitted numbers of cars and with other violations leading to license revocation.

14. Simplifying the Ground Transportation Tax payment website for drivers, making it easy based on a flat rate depending on the number of vehicles they own.

15. Crucially important is limiting rideshare companies commission to 25% on BlackCars and 30% on SUV vehicles.

16. Introducing and implementing a code of ethics and dress code for Livery Drivers, bringing them under the purview of Sherman Antitrust Act to prevent group boycotts socially among the drivers and promoting professionalism.

17. The MPEA stamp cost may be forward to the customer in the fare as is done by UberX and Lyft.

All of the above measures would not only benefit the city but also help alleviate traffic congestion, reduce the burden on the police department, increase revenue for the city, and facilitate the smooth movement of people.

Rideshare companies may have anticipated autonomous cars, but for the next decade or until they become a reality, we, the drivers, remain essential work force in transporting people. Therefore, a pro-driver system and management should be instated, jointly regulated by the city with driver participation.

While Uber and Lyft introduced UberX/Lyft as a service for the south and southwest sides of the city, these cars are mostly found waiting in areas like conventions, stadiums, events, hotels, theaters, bars, restaurants, Lincoln Park, West Loop, Loop, and River North, depriving legitimate earnings for BlackCar drivers. We rarely see UberX/Lyft in the south/southwest side of the city.

Mr. Mayor, we, the BlackCar drivers, lack the financial resources to hire lobbyists or host extravagant dinners and parties to get the attention of the powers. This may be our only opportunity to address your office directly. In contrast, Uber and Lyft have substantial resources to influence the city administration. We are often used as a resource to enrich these companies, but we need someone to stand up for us.

We earnestly request your support, Mr. Mayor, to champion our cause, reduce our hardships, and help us lead normal lives by implementing our above requests. You have a reputation for supporting the working class, and we believe you are our best hope.

In anticipation of your kindness,

Sincerely,

The Undersigned Blackcar Drivers