9/20/23

Nation’s largest Rideshare Driver Group Calls for Requirement that Adequate Infrastructure Must Be in Place & Affordability Ensured Before Green Rides Mandate Takes Effect


New York, NY — There is a hearing of the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission currently underway regarding proposed rules for the Mayor’s Green Rides Initiative, which would mandate that the entire fleet of Uber and Lyft vehicles transition to electric or wheelchair-accessible vehicles by 2030.

The Independent Drivers Guild, the nation’s largest rideshare driver advocacy organization, is releasing the following statement from the Guild’s Organizing Director and long-time ride-hail driver Aziz Bah:

“While we support a cleaner future for our city, we are deeply concerned the proposed rules do not live up to the Mayor’s promise that New York’s hardworking drivers wouldn’t bear the cost of the Green Rides initiative. More than 80,000 New Yorkers drive for Uber and Lyft for a living. Massive investments in charging infrastucture will be required to make the Mayor’s Green Rides vision a reality. The city’s rules must require that adequate infrastructure is in place and affordability for the drivers is ensured before mandates for our city ‘s Uber and Lyft drivers take effect. 

The mandate to transition the entire fleet of Uber and Lyft vehicles to electric or wheelchair-accessible vehicles by 2030 faces significant challenges and concerns related to overall planning, charging infrastructure, affordability for drivers, enforcement, parking logistics, and inequitable treatment within the industry. IDG stands ready to work with Commissioner Do and his very capable team in addressing these concerns. Providing greater transparency while tying the rules to specific milestones is vital to ensure the successful and equitable implementation of a cleaner and more sustainable transportation system in New York City.”


See the Drivers Guild’s full prepared testimony here:

The Independent Drivers Guild is the nation’s largest rideshare driver advocacy group that represents and advocates for more than 300,000 drivers across NY, NJ, CT, MA, IL, and FL. The Guild’s organizing has secured landmark victories that put billions of dollars in the pockets of drivers, including requiring a tipping option in the Uber app and winning the nation’s first livable minimum wage for rideshare drivers in New York City. The Drivers Guild is a non-profit worker center affiliated with the Machinists Union, an AFL-CIO member union, which has represented for-hire vehicle drivers for more than twenty years.

Media contact: Moira@drivingguild.org