New York Uber drivers are being locked out of the app at times of low demand, in order to comply with new regulations in the city…
Reuters reports that New York City’s Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) introduced the new rules for two reasons. First, to reduce congestion.
Second, to ensure minimum pay requirements are met for New York Uber and Lyft drivers.
The rules are aimed at reducing congestion in Manhattan, where ride-share vehicles make up close to a third of peak time traffic, according to the TLC.
Lyft made the same change back in June, but Uber has only done so now, reluctantly.
However, a union representing taxi and app-based drivers said the new rules help protect the livelihood of drivers by ensuring that there aren’t too many cars chasing too few jobs.
Both Uber and Lyft last month admitted that ride-sharing companies create significantly more city-center congestion than they’d predicted.
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