Uber and Lyft drivers protested in downtown Seattle on Wednesday, calling on the companies to stop adding new drivers to what they call a “flooded” market.
The action comes as a new report shows the majority of miles driven by rideshare drivers are without a passenger. The so-called “empty miles” increase traffic congestion and air pollution, while decreasing driver earnings, according to Drivers Union, which bills itself as the voice for Washington state’s more than 30,000 rideshare drivers.
According to the report, empty miles per passenger trip have increased each of past three years and the number of rideshare drivers is increasing nearly seven times faster than trip growth.
Drivers gathered outside Uber’s engineering offices at 2nd Avenue and Seneca Street during rush hour, chanting through megaphones.
“The information in this report confirmed what we see every day — a flooded market, clogged streets, and lowered earnings,” Takele Gobena, president of Drivers Union, said in a news release. “Given how much this is impacting our whole community, we’re more than ready for fair rules for a balanced market that benefits everyone.”
Uber told GeekWire that the report relies on what the company called “an extremely small, unrepresentative sample of drivers.”
The company said that driver pay regulations in Seattle have caused rider fares to increase 40% on average. Seattle now has the highest rideshare prices in the country, the company said.
“As prices went up, trip demand declined — and with fewer trips overall drivers saw less consistent earnings,” an Uber spokesperson said.
