It looks as though the topic of Uber and Lyft drivers manipulating the system to get more money s is old news, but a new report and confirmation from a driver himself prove that it is very much true. As the process goes, drivers at Reagan National Airport simultaneously turn off their app making the system think there aren't enough drivers, boosting the price per ride to entice drivers to hit the road.
Once a driver sees the price rise to a number they are happy with, they turn their apps back on and cash in on the surcharge rate. "All the airplanes we know when they land. So five minutes before, we turn all our apps off all of us at the same time. All of us we turn our apps off. They surge, $10, $12, sometimes $19. Then we turn our app on. Everyone will get the surge,” one driver told WJLA.
A number of drivers admitted that the move is done because Uber doesn't pay them fair wages. “Uber doesn’t pay us enough, what the company is doing is defrauding all these people by taking 35-40 percent,” a driver detailed, while another added: “They are taking all this money because there’s no system of accountability."
Uber released on a statement on the matter that warns drivers that they can be removed from the app if caught. "We have taken steps to address fraudulent behavior ... engaging in this behavior may result in removal."
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