People are finally on the move again. Yet, despite offering cash incentives, rideshare giants such as Uber and Lyft are still struggling to bring drivers back, leading to longer wait times for customers and rising prices.
Uber and Lyft have put millions into rehiring efforts, but some former drivers aren’t even looking at these stimulus packages or trying to get in on surge pricing.
“Drivers are in a low-key strike,” Nicole Moore, a volunteer organizer with Rideshare Drivers United, told CNBC. “Right now it’s a mini debacle for Uber and Lyft in terms of driver shortages and surge pricing throughout the US.”
Former ride-sharing drivers are staying off the road for a variety of reasons.
For many it’s fear of the continued pandemic, which is what made them stop driving in the first place. Currently, less than 50% of the US population is fully vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to Uber, 80% of drivers planned to come back once vaccinated. The company has also heavily invested resources into getting people vaccinated, offering free rides to vaccine spots through early July, as a part of its effort to get people back on the road.
