ROANOKE, Va. – The pain at the pump is on top of many minds. For rideshare drivers like Uber and Lift, it’s also impacting their bottom line.
“Some of the rides you’re only making $4 or $5 on, so it can really cut into the profits of an Uber driver,” said Barry Hultgren, who drives part-time for the company.
With gas prices hitting all-time highs, some people are choosing to pay for a ride rather than use their own form of transportation.
“I pick up so many people going to UPS, FedEx, all the hotels, hospitals. They’re not using their vehicles anymore,” said John Palmieri, who also drives for Uber.
Uber is trying to lessen the blow, releasing this statement:
“We know higher prices at the pump is a challenge, which is why we recently launched a new feature that helps drivers save up to 25¢ per gallon through cashback with GetUpSide. Our platform only works if it works for drivers, so we’ll continue to monitor gas prices and listen to drivers over the coming weeks.”
But, some rideshare drivers say the GetUpside app incentive isn’t paying off.
“It’s not ten cents, it’s not 20 cents, it goes up 25, 30 cents. But when you want that break the gas company says, ‘Well we’ll give them five cents, we’ll give them three cents, we’ll give them two,’ and that’s why the GetUpside app doesn’t work because they’re going off the fuel companies,” added Palmieri.
If the prices keep skyrocketing, some drivers may have to pump the breaks.
“Oh yeah definitely, I would have to stop. If it keeps going up, I would have to stop Ubering,” said Hultgren.
With an unknown future, rideshare companies and drivers are hoping soon they’ll be able to fill the tank, without breaking the bank.