The Gig Economy

[SunsetBengal]

(05-08-2019, 06:50 PM)fredtoast Wrote: But all the rides come from Lyft or Uber.  The drivers have no control over how many rides they get.

I don't know what else Lyft and Uber are responsible for, but I am pretty sure a person can't just start driving people around without some sort of Taxi license if they are not working for Uber or Lyft.

Actually, the fact that they are "striking" is quite amusing, as just a short while back the news was about how the drivers were "gaming" the app to drive higher fares.


https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/uber-drivers-game-app-force-surge-pricing

Quote:As University of Warwick researchers Mareike Möhlmann and Ola Henfridsson and Lior Zalmanson of New York University say in their best academese: “We identify a series of mechanisms that drivers use to regain their autonomy when faced with the power asymmetry imposed by algorithmic management, including guessing, resisting, switching and gaming the Uber system.”


Algorithmic management is, of course, the software Uber uses to control its drivers. As Mareike Möhlmann puts it: “Uber uses software algorithms for oversight, governance and to control drivers, who are tracked and their performance constantly evaluated.”

A joint statement from the authors elaborated: “Under constant surveillance through their phones and customer reviews, drivers’ behavior is ranked automatically and any anomalies reported for further review, with automatic bans for not obeying orders or low grades. Drivers receive different commission rates and bonus targets, being left in the dark as to how it is all calculated. Plus drivers believe they are not given rides when they near reaching a bonus.