Chair Abreu questions Uber on app role in safety
Abreu asks if Uber recognizes the pressure on workers and can play a role in reducing safety impacts, and Gold says they can and support banning on-time rate penalties.
I have a question for you, for Uber.
Do you recognize the pressures you're putting our workers in?
These are workers who, in many ways, as discussed today, have been, you know, they're incentivized to really...
Move as fast as possible for folks to get their deliveries.
Do you believe that the apps can play a role in reducing those safety impacts on our road and making their livelihoods better?
I do believe we can play a role.
I'll say a couple things.
First is, as I said to Councilmember Epstein, we don't pay workers
for riding faster.
In fact, the opposite is true.
The city requires us to pay per minute, and we don't penalize them for taking longer, but my understanding is there's some in the industry who do do that, and one thing you can do is ban that practice.
I think we're under pressure.
internally to compete with other companies who do have on-time rates.
I see a lot of heads shaking behind you.
We are under pressure because other companies who those workers may be working for do have on-time rates and do penalize workers for
not making certain expectations.
We don't do that for workers who use two wheels here in New York City, but others do, and so there would be a level playing field if you just outright banned that practice.
I think a lot more needs to happen so that our workers are treated with dignity and respect.