Previously, the Ridesharing Forum team reported how ridesharing platforms like Lyft and Uber offered free rides for the victims of the recent Los Angeles wildfires, in case they needed emergency rides to the hospital for care. Meanwhile, another ride-hailing platform, Postmates also pledged a whopping $3 million to help in the recovery of the devastated wildfire.
In another recent media report, Uber drivers are also now helping smoothen the evacuation process of the wildfire victims. However, here’s the catch. These drivers are left unprotected, unmasked, so they can inhale much of the smoke. The reason: a loophole in the law.
Unprotected, deadly
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smoke from wildfire can cause destructive effects on a person’s health, such as trouble breathing, coughing, wheezing, asthma attacks, headaches, chest pain, and the like.
Uber drivers helping transport evacuees might be experiencing these because they are left unprotected simply because they are “contractors,” and the law states that protection from these will only be granted to “employees.”
Uber and Lyft are among those tapped to help in the disaster response not only in California but across the nation. Free rides are being offered to evacuation shelters, which is an initiative not done extensively during the previous recent hurricanes.
Aside from the lack of protective gear, their rights to safe driving were also weakened by a ballot initiative in California, which the state Supreme Court upheld last year. The result: Uber and Lyft drivers were not covered by state wildlife smoke protections. How unnerving. Plus, the law also does not oblige the companies yet to allow them to file a sick leave if they fall ill from inhaling wildfire smoke. And, wait until you hear this. These drivers also cannot claim workers’ compensation as there are no laws yet regarding this.
“We help their brand, and we serve the community so they can stay out of this hazard, but we don’t get anything for putting ourselves at risk,” an Uber driver, helping in the disaster response, James Jordan, told the media.
Disastrous.
Official statements
What did Uber and Lyft say? Well, at least Uber gave a response. The company said it was in “ongoing conversations” with drivers, couriers, and merchants, so a middle ground could be found and a way to support them could be discovered.
That’s from Uber and based on this website’s research, there are no reports yet on favorable developments. With Lyft, they are not yet issuing an official statement as of press time.
As of this time of writing, the Los Angeles wildfire, which started on January 7th and is still continuing, has produced over 28 deaths, over 22 non-fatal injuries, over 31 missing individuals, almost 18,000 structures destroyed, and has burned roughly 23,000 hectares of land. However, over 200,000 have already been evacuated, thanks to these ridesharing drivers, partly.
Help us help these drivers receive the help they need. Sign up for an account on this forum website, share your thoughts, and let the community hear what you say. Keep safe, everyone!