Atlanta Uber drivers say Waymo robotaxis are cutting into earnings, call for protections
Drivers for rideshare services gathered in metro Atlanta on Thursday, saying autonomous vehicles are cutting into their earnings and calling for protections as robotaxis become more common on local roads.
"Probably like 10 to 30%, depending on the day," said Richard Feinburg, a rideshare driver who estimates his income has declined since autonomous vehicles entered the market.
Feinburg said he worked as a graphic artist before turning to rideshare driving. What started as a part-time job has since become his primary source of income, but he said rising vehicle expenses and declining earnings are making it increasingly difficult to stay behind the wheel.
"I'm trying to get out of it and just do it part time on the weekends because I can't keep putting as many miles on my vehicle," Feinburg said. "There's a lot of maintenance on top of it — fueling, tire changes — and the companies do not cover any of that."
Waymo's autonomous vehicles, which make up most of the driverless fleet operating in metro Atlanta, are available through the Uber app. When the service launched, Uber and Waymo told CBS News Atlanta the autonomous vehicles would primarily handle shorter trips, which they suggested were often less desirable for drivers. Feinburg said that has not matched his experience.
"That's the thing about it," Feinburg said. "A lot of the profitable drives are the short-distance trips." He said changes to rideshare pricing over the years have made shorter trips more lucrative than longer ones, increasing competition for those fares.
Drivers attending Thursday's rally said they want policymakers and rideshare companies to ensure autonomous vehicles do not come at the expense of workers' livelihoods.
"We are here today because we want to put people over profit," said Liza Ramsey, a rideshare drivers union organizer. "We want to make sure that people in the community have a say."
CBS News Atlanta reached out to Uber and Waymo for comment. As of publication, neither company had responded.
