Lyft Says Uber Tactics Cut Some Drivers' Income In Half

With the Uber-Lyft squabble already hitting critical mass, the recent revelations that Uber was engaging in much more than simple trolling were a bit shocking. Now Lyft is pointing out that those tactics have a serious effect on their drivers. In some cases, income was cut by nearly 50%.

The pink-stached drivers have apparently been the target of an ongoing offensive from Uber, where the recently revealed Operation SLOG gave clandestine agents burner phones and company cards to toy with Lyft drivers. Cancelled rides, heavy-handed recruitment, and overall gamesmanship are the accusations du jour — on both sides.

Lyft now claims some drivers, at least in heavily populate areas, are seeing incomes plummet as a result. In Orange County, California, the average hourly income for drivers dropped to $18.60 — from $36.20. San Francisco drivers' hourly wage dropped to $36.80 from $41.60, and drivers near Los Angeles International Airport saw their pay hit $27.50/hour, down from $36.20.

Lyft added a feature in their driver app that allowed them to notify the company when an Uber agent was recruiting them. From there, Lyft began analyzing their metrics to gather info on dropped rides and income. An account belonging to an Uber recruiter cancelled about 85% of rides, much higher than the 16% Lyft claims is average. That is likely to avoid the re-recruitment tactics SLOG puts forth, but also results in lost wages for a Lyft driver.

Say what you will about Uber's tactics, but they are affecting those who make a living driving for Lyft. Then again, considering the aim of SLOG, that might be the point anyway. Lyft may have tugged on our heartstrings a bit, but they also proved Uber's tactics are successful.

Source: The New York Times