# Uber raising trip prices 24% in new year in response to Seattle’s new minimum wage law for drivers



## Lissetti (Dec 20, 2016)

The cost of an Uber trip in Seattle will jump about 24% starting Friday as the ride-hailing company is raising its prices in response to a new law requiring drivers to be paid the city's minimum wage.

The Seattle City Council unanimously voted in September to adopt new regulations designed to ensure Uber and Lyft drivers earn the city's $16.69 per hour minimum wage in 2021.

The transportation network companies are now required to pay drivers at least $0.56 per minute when there is a passenger in the vehicle as well as a per-mile rate to cover expenses. The city says that standard will ensure drivers earn at least Seattle's minimum wage, assuming they spend about 50% of their time waiting for rides or driving to pick up passengers.

Uber's fare increase is the first of three planned increases over the next three months, and by April the company expects fares may be 50% higher. "We know that any price increase is frustrating for customers, and we continue to look for new ways to reduce prices while complying with the City Council's laws," Uber spokesperson Harry Hatfield said. "There were progressive ways to create earnings protections for drivers without harming Seattlites that rely on ridesharing, and we are disappointed that the City Council was not more open-minded in their deliberations."

Uber said ride volumes have been down as much as 80% during the COVID-19 pandemic and on top of insurance, credit card processing fees, customer service, an in person driver center and maintenance and improvement to its technology it had no room to incur more costs without a fare hike.

Lyft hasn't announced an immediate price increase but has said in the past it could do so in the future as a result of the new law. The City of Seattle added a pay calculator for transportation network company and rideshare drivers designed to help them determine if they are being paid fairly for trips that begin within the city starting in the new year.

https://www.seattle.gov/mayor/rideshare-calculator
The minimum wage is part of Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan's "Fare Share" program introduced in September 2019, which increased a tax on each Uber and Lyft ride. It is the latest in a series of city ordinances targeting the gig economy.

In June 2019, the Seattle City Council unanimously approved legislation that required food delivery companies to pay drivers $2.50 per delivery on top of their regular rates to offset costs and risks that drivers are dealing with during the pandemic. A few months earlier, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Uber, and the City of Seattle agreed to walk away from a lengthy and complex legal battle over a law that would allow drivers to unionize.

Rachel Lauter, executive director of Working Washington, said in a statement that it makes no sense for a multi-billion-dollar company like Uber to "alienate thousands of customers in a key market" with a fare increase "in a fit of spite over having to raise pay for workers."

"But this isn't an economic decision: it's a political campaign," Lauter said. "Uber is simply using this political pricing stunt to try and see if they can generate any measure of public opposition to higher pay and basic benefits for workers." She called increased pay for gig workers "wildly popular and desperately needed."

https://www.geekwire.com/2020/uber-...sponse-seattles-new-minimum-wage-law-drivers/


----------



## MikhailCA (Dec 8, 2019)

The only way to solve the problem is force Uber to pay 50-70% taxi rates to the drivers.


----------



## The Gift of Fish (Mar 17, 2017)

Lissetti said:


> View attachment 540895
> 
> 
> The cost of an Uber trip in Seattle will jump about 24% starting Friday as the ride-hailing company is raising its prices in response to a new law requiring drivers to be paid the city's minimum wage.
> ...


Or, in other words, Uber admits that drivers in Seattle currently don't earn minimum wage + expenses. If they did then Uber wouldn't need to raise its prices.


----------



## #professoruber (Feb 19, 2018)

In reality, we are raising prices and minimizing what we pay our #1 asset. The business model is flawed as it does not maximize a drivers efficiency


----------



## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Lissetti said:


> View attachment 540895
> 
> 
> The cost of an Uber trip in Seattle will jump about 24% starting Friday as the ride-hailing company is raising its prices in response to a new law requiring drivers to be paid the city's minimum wage.
> ...


Chumps or whatever they are called will " Commandier" Uber cars & Declare Seattle
A " FREE RIDE ZONE "!


----------



## 208476 (Nov 15, 2020)

Lissetti said:


> View attachment 540895
> 
> 
> The cost of an Uber trip in Seattle will jump about 24% starting Friday as the ride-hailing company is raising its prices in response to a new law requiring drivers to be paid the city's minimum wage.
> ...


I have around 5k rides Uber/Lyft with a 4.97 rating Uber and 5.00 Lyft, I know does nothing for me, I also have one of the worst attitudes in the free world because of these two but if they did this in Florida I might drive again, so there you go...................


----------



## SHalester (Aug 25, 2019)

I'm sorry, did anyone think Uber's et al shareholders were going to eat the additional driver cost? Anyone? Somebody? A single person?

Yeah, didn't think so.


----------



## Nats121 (Jul 19, 2017)

For 56 cents per minute I'd gladly tell my Walmart-shopping pax to take all day to shop if they want.

Long drive-thru lines? No problem.

Multiple stops? No problem.


----------



## Mole (Mar 9, 2017)

Lissetti said:


> View attachment 540895
> 
> 
> The cost of an Uber trip in Seattle will jump about 24% starting Friday as the ride-hailing company is raising its prices in response to a new law requiring drivers to be paid the city's minimum wage.
> ...


California and other states need to enact this type of wage fairness.


----------



## SHalester (Aug 25, 2019)

Mole said:


> California and other states need to enact this type of wage fairness.


Calif has Prop 22.


----------



## mbd (Aug 27, 2018)

Sea drivers make over the min wage...in a doomsday case scenario , Uber Algo can throttle high avg per hour drivers and give it to the lower floor rate drivers and keep the juice. This is a bonus for Uber.


----------



## Bojingles (Sep 18, 2015)

California drivers screwed themselves


----------



## SHalester (Aug 25, 2019)

Bojingles said:


> California drivers screwed themselves


out of becoming employees? i guess we opted to be screwed vs being f*.*


----------



## Illini (Mar 14, 2019)

Uber will attempt to make the drivers upset with the City by telling them that although their rates will increase, the number of rides they'll get will plummet so much, they'll actually earn less than before.


----------



## mbd (Aug 27, 2018)

Illini said:


> Uber will attempt to make the drivers upset with the City by telling them that although their rates will increase, the number of rides they'll get will plummet so much, they'll actually earn less than before.


Full time drivers with high AR get preferential pings, so min wage for them should not be a problem, especially Seattle.


----------



## Mole (Mar 9, 2017)

SHalester said:


> Calif has Prop 22.


That may be so but the pay is still low. It should be like Seattle it would increase our wage 20% or more.


----------



## SHalester (Aug 25, 2019)

Mole said:


> It should be like Seattle it would increase our wage 20% or more.


Prop 22 was far better than the alternative. Plus, Prop 22 is a floor. If a regular driver can't make more, they are doing some way way wrong.


----------



## NJ Cowboy (Nov 26, 2020)

Any economists know how elastic demand for ride-share will be in the wake of a 24% fare increase?


----------



## Bojingles (Sep 18, 2015)

If would have held back and not given in.We could have had a seat at the table.Ican almost guarantee you would not be a employee. Instead what did get for your vote of confidence gimmicks and gimmicks and more smoke up our asses.

Have you received any xtra coin.If you did get anything x t ra it's because your clueless.


----------



## SHalester (Aug 25, 2019)

Bojingles said:


> If would have held back and not given in


given in? Drivers had no choice beyond a vote. They voted for Prop 22 as did non-drivers. But please, a seat at the table? The option was to be an employee; that is not a seat.

Next.


----------



## Bojingles (Sep 18, 2015)

That's why absolutely nothing was gained. Continuous gimmicks

Have you received any xtra coin since the implementation of 22

If your earnings are a 1k a week or more you won't see any xtra coins


----------



## SHalester (Aug 25, 2019)

Bojingles said:


> That's why absolutely nothing was gained.


I see you continue to discount what AB5 would have produced. It was one or the other; there was no 3rd choice. Noodle that, some.


----------



## Bojingles (Sep 18, 2015)

Question Are you a full-time driver or a intermittent part time driver


----------



## SHalester (Aug 25, 2019)

Bojingles said:


> Question Are you a full-time driver or a intermittent part time driver


what I am is getting annoyed how you don't quote so one has to really pay attn to the thread. Too much work. :thumbdown:


----------



## Bojingles (Sep 18, 2015)

Flip the script and read something. I don't care whether you are annoyed or not. Because you can step to some other post. Who raised you.


----------



## UberBastid (Oct 1, 2016)

Bojingles said:


> Flip the script and read something. I don't care whether you are annoyed or not. Because you can step to some other post. Who raised you.


If you're interested in actually having someone READ your posts, you should hit the "REPLY" button so that we know WHAT you are replying to.
If you are talking to yourself, I guess it doesn't matter.



Bojingles said:


> Question Are you a full-time driver or a intermittent part time driver


who are you talking to?
who is 'you'?


----------



## SHalester (Aug 25, 2019)

Bojingles said:


> Flip the script and read something.


my decoder ring is broken yet again. NO need to translate tho. You do you, ok?



UberBastid said:


> who are you talking to?
> who is 'you'?


that would be me. Bo has taken up the game of you have to guess who the reply is meant for. Another member does that a lot, but it is easier to figure out. Hum.


----------



## Amos69 (May 17, 2019)

The rate increase will not affect my clients much. I avoid the ones that this will affect most


----------



## Amos69 (May 17, 2019)

https://www.uberpeople.net/threads/...ut-lux-and-lux-black-rates-in-seattle.422359/
Here is some internal discussion on some of the changes from a different thread Yes there is a clause that stated access to platform may be limited, but we shall see how it all plays out. Double apping should lead to many opportunities.

I am following along for when I do return to the mainland this spring.


----------



## UberBastid (Oct 1, 2016)

SHalester said:


> my decoder ring is broken yet again. NO need to translate tho. You do you, ok?
> 
> 
> that would be me. Bo has taken up the game of you have to guess who the reply is meant for. Another member does that a lot, but it is easier to figure out. Hum.


I often don't read them; not willing to spend a bunch of time or computing energy trying to figure it out.


----------



## Stevie The magic Unicorn (Apr 3, 2018)

Bojingles said:


> That's why absolutely nothing was gained. Continuous gimmicks
> 
> Have you received any xtra coin since the implementation of 22
> 
> If your earnings are a 1k a week or more you won't see any xtra coins


Prop 22 just promises that you'll get paid 30c a mile 26c a minute over all the hours/miles you drive on pings averaged out every 2 weeks.

And based on current policies tips and _tolls_ count towards that as well.

Prop 22s pay guarantee is a sick joke.

Sadly it would still be an increase in Orlanodo...


----------



## SHalester (Aug 25, 2019)

Stevie The magic Unicorn said:


> And based on current policies tips and _tolls_ count towards that as well.


...as pointed out to you before, what you have above is wrong. <sigh> In fact, your entire note is incorrect again, just like last time. <double sigh>


The $0.30/mile compensation is to help cover expenses like gas and vehicle wear and tear. If you deliver on foot or bicycle, the $0.30/mile does not apply.
The guarantee applies to active time, which starts when you accept a trip and ends when you complete it, for both rides and deliveries.
The guarantee takes into account your trip fares and any money made through promotions. *Tips, refunds for tolls and cleaning fees, cancellation fees, and referral payments are not counted toward the guarantee.*
*The guaranteed minimum is just that: a minimum. *_*There's no limit to how much you can make.*_


----------



## Stevie The magic Unicorn (Apr 3, 2018)

SHalester said:


> ...as pointed out to you before, what you have above is wrong. <sigh> In fact, your entire note is incorrect again, just like last time. <double sigh>
> 
> 
> The $0.30/mile compensation is to help cover expenses like gas and vehicle wear and tear. If you deliver on foot or bicycle, the $0.30/mile does not apply.
> ...


I'll find the document that shows that, i swear


----------



## SHalester (Aug 25, 2019)

Stevie The magic Unicorn said:


> I'll find the document that shows that, i swear


I've pointed out you were wrong multiple times. Others have too; with graphics.

You have it wrong in every way possible. Just admit it and move along. All will be forgiven. Really. Well, maybe.


----------



## Jst1dreamr (Apr 25, 2019)

Lissetti said:


> In June 2019, the Seattle City Council unanimously approved legislation that required food delivery companies to pay drivers $2.50 per delivery on top of their regular rates to offset costs and risks that drivers are dealing with during the pandemic.


So does this statement want us to believe that the Seattle City Council new about the upcoming pandemic 8 months before the rest of the country or have the writers at Geek Wire just gotten so used to using the pandemic as the excuse for every thing that politicians do and the editors don't even notice the date was long before the pandemic started. What ever happened to real journalism and pride in their work.


----------



## Stevie The magic Unicorn (Apr 3, 2018)

SHalester said:


> I've pointed out you were wrong multiple times. Others have too; with graphics.
> 
> You have it wrong in every way possible. Just admit it and move along. All will be forgiven. Really. Well, maybe.


Ever tell a lie so many times you start to beleive it?

I'm a dumbass at least 6 times over,

Don't really expect your forgiveness...


----------



## Lissetti (Dec 20, 2016)

Jst1dreamr said:


> So does this statement want us to believe that the Seattle City Council new about the upcoming pandemic 8 months before the rest of the country or have the writers at Geek Wire just gotten so used to using the pandemic as the excuse for every thing that politicians do and the editors don't even notice the date was long before the pandemic started. What ever happened to real journalism and pride in their work.


Uber and the rideshare industry have been battling the Seattle City Ordinance for years. Where one rideshare battle ended, another began. Form the very beginning, Seattle has not made it easy for these companies to come in and set up shop. Yellow Cab had an exclusive union with the Port of Seattle which granted them priority at the airport, before rideshare.

With the very hilly region here, and poor transit system, cabs, and the money the city got from them, ruled. Then Uber moved in.

Perhaps the journalists at Geekwire might have done better by stating that this latest ruling is just one of many in a long sorted history of Uber Vs. Seattle.

Here's one of the more recent ones.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattl...attles-uber-unionization-law-comes-to-an-end/


----------



## Jst1dreamr (Apr 25, 2019)

Lissetti said:


> Uber and the rideshare industry have been battling the Seattle City Ordinance for years. Where one rideshare battle ended, another began. Form the very beginning, Seattle has not made it easy for these companies to come in and set up shop. Yellow Cab had an exclusive union with the Port of Seattle which granted them priority at the airport, before rideshare.
> 
> With the very hilly region here, and poor transit system, cabs, and the money the city got from them, ruled. Then Uber moved in.
> 
> ...


You missed the whole point I was making. It had nothing to do with the on going battle between Seattle and Uber. My mistake was phrasing my statement as a question, it was not a question it was a statement of how bad journalism takes so much away from the causes when people see obvious lies in a story they tend to give less credence to the story as a whole.

As for the subject matter of the story all is good. As for the journalist need to link it to the pandemic I assume for added effect is just what is wrong with journalism today.

Unfortunately when the journalist clearly stated that the decision was intended "to offset costs and risks that drivers are dealing with during the pandemic" although is was done 8 months before the start of the pandemic it takes away from the feeling of sympathy the article was intended to stir up.


----------



## Lissetti (Dec 20, 2016)

Jst1dreamr said:


> You missed the whole point I was making. It had nothing to do with the on going battle between Seattle and Uber. My mistake was phrasing my statement as a question, it was not a question it was a statement of how bad journalism takes so much away from the causes when people see obvious lies in a story they tend to give less credence to the story as a whole.
> 
> As for the subject matter of the story all is good. As for the journalist need to link it to the pandemic I assume for added effect is just what is wrong with journalism today.
> 
> Unfortunately when the journalist clearly stated that the decision was intended "to offset costs and risks that drivers are dealing with during the pandemic" although is was done 8 months before the start of the pandemic it takes away from the feeling of sympathy the article was intended to stir up.


You're right. I can see that important fact was missed.


----------



## Amos69 (May 17, 2019)

Stevie The magic Unicorn said:


> Ever tell a lie so many times you start to beleive it?
> 
> I'm a dumbass at least 6 times over,
> 
> Don't really expect your forgiveness...


That is a Trumpism.


----------



## SHalester (Aug 25, 2019)

Lissetti said:


> I can see that important fact was missed.


my sarcasm monitor just exploded. Now I know why.


----------



## WEY00L (Mar 6, 2019)

Bojingles said:


> If would have held back and not given in.We could have had a seat at the table.Ican almost guarantee you would not be a employee. Instead what did get for your vote of confidence gimmicks and gimmicks and more smoke up our asses.
> 
> Have you received any xtra coin.If you did get anything x t ra it's because your clueless.


YES.
I have received a ton of extra coin compared to a minimum wage EMPLOYEE with restricted hours.

For those of you who are not in California the choices were Prop 22 with a minimum guarantee OR A part time employee of ONE of these companies.
Thus far there been NO CHANGES and most drivers are making far more than the minimum guarantee.


----------



## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Lissetti said:


> Uber and the rideshare industry have been battling the Seattle City Ordinance for years. Where one rideshare battle ended, another began. Form the very beginning, Seattle has not made it easy for these companies to come in and set up shop. Yellow Cab had an exclusive union with the Port of Seattle which granted them priority at the airport, before rideshare.
> 
> With the very hilly region here, and poor transit system, cabs, and the money the city got from them, ruled. Then Uber moved in.
> 
> ...


I thought you could just walk into Seattle
And TAKE OVER A POLICE STATION !


----------



## SHalester (Aug 25, 2019)

WEY00L said:


> OR A part time employee of ONE of these companies.


and with maybe less than 50% being 'hired'. That was AB5. Prop 22 nobody deactivated and additional coin in at least the mileage reimbursement.


----------



## Uberyouber (Jan 16, 2017)

So are people just going to start taking the bus or what???


----------



## goneubering (Aug 17, 2017)

NJ Cowboy said:


> Any economists know how elastic demand for ride-share will be in the wake of a 24% fare increase?


I'm almost positive we have a bunch of economists here!!


----------



## Lissetti (Dec 20, 2016)

Uberyouber said:


> So are people just going to start taking the bus or what???


 Not likely. The Seattle region is very spread out with a poor transit system that doesn't intersect very well.

Fear not for the Seattlites. They live in a region that's home to numerous tech HQs, HQ2s, and a multitude of other Startups. They'll continue to pay for that "door to door" service until it costs more than cabs.


----------



## SHalester (Aug 25, 2019)

Uberyouber said:


> So are people just going to start taking the bus or what???


doubtful the pax will even notice and if they did, it would not change their behavior. They might whine a bit, tho.


----------



## WEY00L (Mar 6, 2019)

SHalester said:


> doubtful the pax will even notice and if they did, it would not change their behavior. They might whine a bit, tho.


Seattle is filled with a bunch of left wing nut jobs.
If they had their way they would ban all cars and force everyone to walk of ride a bike.


----------

