Sky-high gas prices are taking a bite out of Uber and Lyft drivers’ earnings.
Being a ride-share driver was already tough enough before the current price spike. Drivers pay for their own fuel, so their earnings need to accommodate this expense.
Now, many are finding they have to put in extra hours — as much as 60 hours a week — to maintain former income levels.
Gas in California is now averaging about $5.70 a gallon.
“It’s not worth driving for Uber any more,” Vitalii Konstantinov, who drives for Uber in San Diego, told the Guardian.
Neither Uber’s nor Lyft’s websites addressed the issue on Friday. But advocates for gig workers are already calling on both companies to step up with bonuses, subsidies or other forms of assistance.
If gas prices continue heading northward, a likely scenario is Uber and Lyft borrowing a page from the playbook of airlines and tacking a fuel surcharge onto people’s bills.
If so, you may want to ask your driver if the money goes entirely to him or her, or if the ride-share company is wetting its beak with a taste.
Also consider a bigger tip if you’re especially pleased with your driver’s service. He or she could really use it.