Drivers say they’re being pushed into poverty by rideshare giants like Uber and Lyft that made false promises about wages while loading them with expenses. Now they’re starting a rideshare alternative that’s owned by the drivers, not Silicon Valley investors.
Next City senior economics correspondent Oscar Perry Abello first reported about The Drivers Cooperative in March, before its “Co-op Ride” app had launched. Now the app is live and already serving thousands of customers, primarily those who rely on Co-Op Ride for scheduled rides.
In this episode of the podcast, Next City executive director Lucas Grindley talks with Abello and with one of the founders, Ken Lewis. He says that when shareholders are replaced by the drivers themselves, he hopes the profession can become a pathway to the American dream.
“It used to be something to push into middle-class,” said Lewis of the drivers profession. “Right now, it has been pushing drivers into poverty.”
Listen to this episode below, or subscribe to Next City’s podcast on Apple and Spotify.
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