More often than not, it is when politicians in the government interfere that things usually become worse. Such as what’s happening now in Seattle’s ridesharing landscape.
Seattle will be hosting the highly anticipated FIFA World Cup 2026 soccer tournament by mid-year of that year, so it is expected for tourists from all over the globe to avail of ridesharing services.
So, Senator Emily Alvarado thought ahead. With the purpose of helping consumers save more, she recently sponsored a bill seeking to cap the costs of rideshares during major events in Washington, Seattle’s home state.
“This bill protects riders, and it protects drivers to make sure they can share fairly in the economic activity generated by large-scale events,” said the senator.
The intention is good and the drivers are praising her decision so far. But, is she a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and using this to politicize? Uber spoke against her will.
“This bill hurts fans instead of helping them – driving up fares and making rideshare services on platforms like ours harder to facilitate. The proposed legislation will result in higher costs for soccer fans trying to get to and from the game, which could reduce demand for drivers,” an Uber spokesperson reasoned out.
The bill is officially called Senate Bill 5600, mandating that riders of services like Uber and Lyft should only be charged 20 percent more than the amount drivers are paid on a particular trip, no more than that. For instance, if an Uber driver earns $10 for a ride, a customer should be charged $12 only.
The World Cup in 2026, one of the largest sporting events globally, will attract big crowds, so because there will be more demand for rides, prices can go high.
For this ridesharing driver, he doesn’t mind, as long as they can earn more.
“In a time when we’re having a national conversation about gouging groceries and gouging at the gas station, we shouldn’t be gouging people trying to get a safe ride home,” Kyle Graham, who drives for both companies, told the media.
However, Lyft, one of Uber’s competitors, is siding with the latter, saying that the “bill is taking” people “in the wrong direction.” It would actually hurt drivers, they said.
"Nobody likes surge pricing, which is why we’ve been working to reduce how often it happens to riders. But this bill is taking us in the wrong direction. A strict cap like this could hurt driver earnings and leave fewer drivers on the road, which means longer waits for everyone. Instead of imposing rigid rules that don’t reflect how people actually use rideshare, let’s collaborate on smart solutions that meet our shared goals,” Lyft pointed out.
The United States, Canada, and Mexico are hosting the 2026 World Cup.
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