New York City Council Unveils Measures to Limit Uber, Lyft Driver Boots
The city's lawmakers have taken steps to crack down on ride-hailing giants Uber and Lyft for unfairly terminating drivers. The legislation aims to curb the "deactivation cases" – when companies kick workers off their platforms with little recourse – by providing a more formal process.
Under the new law, ride-hailing apps are required to give drivers 14 days' notice before deactivating them unless they've been accused of egregious misconduct. This measure also ensures that drivers won't be fired without just cause and establishes an independent appeal process for those who have been unfairly terminated.
Councilmember Shekar Krishnan hailed the bill as a victory, stating that it would end "the nightmare" of one day, a driver's livelihood being stripped away from them without warning. The measure was championed by drivers' advocates, who had long accused Lyft and Uber of spreading misinformation to prevent similar regulations.
Lyft claimed that the new law would allow unsafe drivers – including those accused of sexual harassment or reckless driving – to remain on the platform. However, Krishnan argued that this interpretation was misguided, as the legislation explicitly calls for deactivation in cases involving serious misconduct.
The bill adds to existing regulations issued by the Taxi and Limousine Commission last year, which limited how often ride-hailing apps could temporarily lock out drivers to avoid paying them. Uber has yet to comment on the new law.
Lyft spokesperson Geoff Berman described the legislation as "a flawed policy" that would make it more difficult to remove unsafe drivers from the platform. The company's statement highlighted a potential contradiction in its previous claims, as Lyft had also argued against such regulations during the bill's initial passage last year.
The City Council's move comes as tensions between ride-hailing companies and their drivers continue to simmer. Drivers have long complained about the companies' policies, which they claim can be unfair and unpredictable. The new law represents a significant victory for advocacy groups and a potential turning point in the battle for better working conditions in the gig economy.
The city's lawmakers have taken steps to crack down on ride-hailing giants Uber and Lyft for unfairly terminating drivers. The legislation aims to curb the "deactivation cases" – when companies kick workers off their platforms with little recourse – by providing a more formal process.
Under the new law, ride-hailing apps are required to give drivers 14 days' notice before deactivating them unless they've been accused of egregious misconduct. This measure also ensures that drivers won't be fired without just cause and establishes an independent appeal process for those who have been unfairly terminated.
Councilmember Shekar Krishnan hailed the bill as a victory, stating that it would end "the nightmare" of one day, a driver's livelihood being stripped away from them without warning. The measure was championed by drivers' advocates, who had long accused Lyft and Uber of spreading misinformation to prevent similar regulations.
Lyft claimed that the new law would allow unsafe drivers – including those accused of sexual harassment or reckless driving – to remain on the platform. However, Krishnan argued that this interpretation was misguided, as the legislation explicitly calls for deactivation in cases involving serious misconduct.
The bill adds to existing regulations issued by the Taxi and Limousine Commission last year, which limited how often ride-hailing apps could temporarily lock out drivers to avoid paying them. Uber has yet to comment on the new law.
Lyft spokesperson Geoff Berman described the legislation as "a flawed policy" that would make it more difficult to remove unsafe drivers from the platform. The company's statement highlighted a potential contradiction in its previous claims, as Lyft had also argued against such regulations during the bill's initial passage last year.
The City Council's move comes as tensions between ride-hailing companies and their drivers continue to simmer. Drivers have long complained about the companies' policies, which they claim can be unfair and unpredictable. The new law represents a significant victory for advocacy groups and a potential turning point in the battle for better working conditions in the gig economy.
, its about time those ride-hailing companies start treating their drivers with some respect & fairness! 14 days notice is nothing, but at least now they gotta follow the rules and not just kick ppl off w/o a second thought 
. i've seen so many stories of ppl losing their livelihoods cuz of these companies being all sketchy 
. its about time we start seeing some real change in this industry 
also why do these companies always have to say that this will just lead to more problematic drivers getting on the platform meanwhile they're just gonna keep making up excuses till the law changes 
drivers have been getting screwed over by uber and lyft for ages, and it's about time someone spoke up for them 
councilmember shekar Krishnan is a total hero for pushing this bill through - the 14-day notice before deactivation is a game-changer for drivers who might be terminated unfairly 
can't let companies like lyft just sweep away people's livelihoods without a fight 
also, it's wild that lyft is already claiming that this law would lead to more unsafe drivers on the platform - like, isn't that kinda the whole point of having regulations in place? 
just saw this news, think its kinda cool that NYC is tryna crack down on these ride-hailing giants 
they've been treatin' their drivers like dirt, makin' 'em work with no security or support 
the fact that drivers get 14 days notice before bein' deactivated is a big win for me 
hope it sets a precedent and other cities take note 
. And what's with this "independent appeal process" nonsense? Just another way for lawyers to make money off of people who got screwed over by these companies 
. It's all just a bunch of regulatory run-around if you ask me... 
. It's like, you've got these two massive corporations - Uber and Lyft - making all these money off people's backs, and then they can just kick 'em to the curb whenever they want? That's not right, that's kinda like what happens in a totalitarian regime, where the government has total control over everything 
. But seriously, it's like, the people are finally standing up and saying "enough is enough" - we need some accountability in these companies.
. Now we just gotta see how Uber responds (or doesn't respond) to this new law 
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i mean whats next gonna be empires fallin cuz drivers had to work too much 
Like, come on guys, can't we all just get along? It's not that hard to be decent human beings 
. I'm so glad the city council is taking steps to protect their drivers' rights - about time those ride-hailing giants learned some manners 
. I mean, 14 days is not a lot of time to figure out if someone's doing something wrong, right? 
They need some wiggle room, you know? 
And it's crazy how Lyft is trying to spin this as a "flawed policy" 
This law might not be perfect, but at least it's a start 
Those drivers deserve some basic respect and stability in their lives, you know? It's crazy that they're basically just at the mercy of Uber and Lyft, with no warning or chance to appeal if they get deactivated. The fact that these companies are still trying to spin it as a "flawed policy" is laughable – it's just a power play by corporations who don't want to give up their control over workers.
it's all about fairness and giving people a chance to make a living... btw 14 days feels like a decent amount of time for someone to figure out what's going on 
. But what really caught my attention was when they had a mini-concert by a local band. Their lead singer's voice is insane, I swear, I almost lost my voice singing along 
You need a ride ASAP! But seriously, kudos to the NYC Council for taking action on this issue 
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! 14 days' notice is basically a dream come true for Uber and Lyft drivers who are getting axed from the platform - it's like, fair game now 
. This legislation is all about creating some much-needed transparency & accountability, you feel? 
with this one, and I'm loving how the drivers' advocates have been pushing for this change. Meanwhile, Lyft is trying to spin it like they're protecting public safety, but let's be real, folks - we all know what really went down