“It’s just ridiculous,” Rienea Sanders, a Valley Ride Share Driver, is fed up.
Sanders says, “We feel like we have to hit them where it hurts.”
Sanders has been a professional driver for Lyft, Uber and Black Car Service for five years.
With Saint Patrick’s Day and the first day of Spring Training, Sanders says, “People are going to be out tonight. The weather’s nice, people are here in town, and you know they’re going to want to go out and party.”
Sanders would have made bank. But instead, she’s at home. She says she’s part of a nationwide ride share strike on Thursday that she heard about on social media. She says she’s striking for safety and more wages.
“If it’s not effective today, then we’ll do it again the next holiday and the next holiday,” says Sanders. “Because we can’t afford not to do this.”
Recently Uber and Lyft announced that they would be helping drivers with fuel costs. According to Lyft’s website, the ride-share service will add 55 cents of fuel surcharge to each ride for at least the next 60 days. But Sanders says that’s unacceptable.
“If you can’t pay your bills, you can’t expect someone to get in your car and you’re happy, smiling and having a conversation with them and you’re on the verge of being put out.”
Uber tells ABC15 there are more drivers on the road Thursday than there was this time Wednesday.
