Even though it’s the city that never sleeps, that’s often just what Modibo Niambele wants. As a driver for Uber and Lyft, Niambele works everyday, but it’s the weekends that are especially tough. When the shift is over and he’s ready to enter his home, he can’t – not usually. More often than not, he’s double-parked outside his apartment on the Upper West Side. The city sleeps but Niambele must remain vigilant for any indication that someone might be moving their car. If he’s lucky, it won’t take more than two hours.
Even though the denizens of New York City have benefitted greatly from the taxi industry revolution, which has been made possible by the emergence of companies like Uber and Lyft, drivers continue to get the short end of the stick in terms of total benefits from the service. Ride-sharing platforms like this reached global proportions – Uber alone operates in 540 cities – but they haven’t done much to enhance the driver’s financial situation, which many of their claims are built on, compared to how the taxi market used to operate. Despite the personal aspects apps like these have included – from the picture of your driver to the information about the car that’s just two minutes away – companies like Uber and Lyft have constricted drivers dependent on taxis as their main source of income and given them two options: adapt to our model and drive or get left behind.
Niambele, a father of three, sports a bald head and his voice is dominated by a French accent from his days in Mali. His hands are big and firm, callused from years of gripping a steering wheel, while he peers at you through glasses that sit loosely on his nose.
Before the market was disrupted, Niambele drove yellow cabs and black cars for over 25 years. Though Uber launched in 2010, and Lyft in 2012, he didn’t make the switch right away. Once it was clear that the taxi market was evolving, Niambele joined the next trend taking over the city.
Numerous drivers, much like Niambele, work for multiple ride-sharing companies such as Uber, Lyft, and Gett. While companies rake in the big bucks through partnerships and overall revenue, drivers accelerate their efforts just to stay afloat.
“Overall, competition makes things better. But not that. You see, black cars used to be relaxed. The typical black car used to be more relaxed, you know. You get a call, you go pick up, come, you relax, you take another call, you know. So you got a couple of work in a day, you good. But Uber is not like that. The price is very low so you gotta put a lot of energy, you know, the back and forth,” said Niambele.
Uber and Lyft have placed ads all throughout the city. Often, they display how much money you can make driving with them. Lyft’s website claims an individual can make up to $35 an hour; their earnings estimate on their website says drivers can expect up to $1,400 a week for a driver who commits 40 hours a week in New York City. On Uber’s website, there is a chart from the Bureau of Labor Statistics that says Uber drivers make over $19 an hour. But these numbers are deceptive, which is just what companies like this want to do.
“Drivers supply everything. We pay the gas, we do the maintenance of the car – if the car is for you, yes or not, you gotta make the payment of the car, okay. And, plus, the TLC ticket, you know, the police ticket, the parking ticket, those are big burdens on us. So the cost is huge, and that’s the problem. You gotta work with Uber and Lyft. At least you gotta put in 10 hours a day to make money with them. It’s a lot of work, it’s a lot of driving,” said Niambele.
But Niambele isn’t all grumbles. He acknowledged many of the positive changes that Uber and Lyft have imposed on the market, some which have broken up the monopolistic power of the Taxi & Limousine Commission.
“It was kind’ve a monopoly system. And look at how the price was going up. And before Lyft and Uber, there was no middle man in the city. So drivers, a bunch of drivers that I knew used to go to garage, they don’t have no car, they come home not working. So when Uber and Lyft came, they give the chance of many people to have – they buy their own car or leasing a car – and they work for themselves. It’s more relaxing because you don’t have to look for the customers. The yellow cab was more aggressive, you know, for drivers. The more aggressive you, the more customers you can have. But Uber and Lyft everybody got their own customers,” said Niambele.
Niambele claimed the Taxi & Limousine Commission often hits drivers with summons that imposed steep fines, often with little cause.
When Uber and Lyft stepped into the picture, they changed the rules. Though they have to comply with Taxi & Limousine Commission regulations, drivers began to see a change. The integration of smartphones have benefitted both drivers and users alike.
“I’ve been robbed a couple of times. In East New York, I had a gun on me – they took all my money, that was a couple of years ago. And also it happened right, on 110th Street. Got a gun on me. They took all my money in daytime. The doorman who was watching me run away, you know. So completely it’s a difference for that, the safety of drivers. Many people know that we don’t carry cash on us, so it’s more safe,” said Niambele. “The app is great. The customers love it, so we as drivers love it.”
Despite all the advances made for taxi drivers, are these companies improving drivers financially? I joined Niambele one Saturday night to get a glimpse.
…
6:00
Niambele bundled up and kissed his daughter before stepping out the door. Despite the frigid weather, the streets are swarming – it’s a Saturday night and SantaCon is still underway. He walked to his car, a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe, and warmed the car up for the night ahead. While soft jazz emanated from the NPR station, Niambele double checked to see if he has everything before calling his friend Ricky over WhatsApp.
6:14
Niambele is officially online and available for request. He made his way down Central Park West. Shades of pink resonate off his screen – hot zones of Lyft activity – and Niambele entered the eye of the storm.
6:16
Niambele’s first request of the night popped up. Anna needed a lift, and Niambele proceeded to drive to her location.
6:17
Anna cancelled her request. Unlike Uber, Lyft doesn’t notify drivers on-screen when a ride is cancelled; instead, they get a text.
“I hate this. I want it to show me directly,” said Niambele.
6:24
Another request appeared on the screen – Fatima needs a lift. Snow flurried down and Niambele worked to avoid double parked cars, bicycles, and pedestrians – it’s the ultimate game of freeze tag.
6:27
Niambele arrived and placed Lyft poster on the window. He made his way to the East side, and they conversed lightly along the way. 2nd Avenue construction prevented him from turning to the requested location, and Niambele casually pulled over, impervious to the blaring horns behind him.
6:42
Fatima is dropped off. Niambele declared her “dropped off” – a requirement by Lyft to signal the ride has ended – and gave her a 5 star rating; the rating system operates as a two way street under Lyft. It doesn’t take much to get a good rating, but simple courtesy for Niambele.
“Anywhere you go, say hello to someone,” said Niambele.
6:43
A French couple requested a ride. As they make their way down the West side, there was silence throughout. Niambele struck up a conversation, and the topic quickly jumps to Donald Trump. The French gentlemen, now animated, expressed concerns for America’s future.
7:00
7:14
The French couple are dropped off and also receive a 5 star rating from Niambele.
7:16
While at a red light, Niambele called to check in on his son. He made his way to another part of the city after another request flashed on the screen.
7:31
A family of four entered. Niambele offered to pull down the seats in the back to make more room but they declined. Somewhat uncomfortable with the cramped space, Niambele put his Kangol on – a first throughout the night. After the family is dropped off, Niambele double-parked his car and pulled down the seats in the back.
7:34
Another request brought Niambele back to the West side. A couple entered and exchanged pleasantries.
7:44
The one mile drive is quiet, and the couple is dropped off. Niambele took a moment to admire a French eatery on the left hand side. There is mounting traffic in midtown and he became agitated, using his horn and high beams more frequently.
“That’s what makes the traffic worse – no left, no right turns. Where we gonna go, the sky?” remarked Niambele, referring to the traffic cops who prohibited turns in many parts of the midtown area.
7:49
After his last drop off, Niambele received a request to come back to the immediate area.
“Sometimes it’s not worth it,” said Niambele, as he struggled to inch through midtown traffic and pick up his patrons.
8:00
8:05
The ride began. Trump’s presidency came up, and so did Modi’s. Niambele offered the guest an iPhone charger after she mentioned her phone is dying. Little quirks like these often help create a distinction between good and great service, which are key for drivers who rely on tips.
8:20
After dropping off his guests, Niambele went offline. He took time to visit a mosque in the area and ate at a Indian-Pakistani restaurant after. He needed some time to unwind and sipped on some coffee, but acknowledged he couldn’t afford a long break.
“Sometimes when you work for yourself, you don’t have no choice,” said Niambele.
9:00
9:47
Niambele jumped back online and a request came in. Niambele, parked in the Baruch area, down to Bowery.
10:00
10:19
The ride ended and another request came. This is the first outer-borough request Niambele received. As he drove over the Williamsburg Bridge, the tempo of the night changed. Now situated in Brooklyn, Niambele is rooted in Brooklyn until the night is over.
…
I rode with Niambele until 11:30. After driving for 4.5 hours – excluding the time he took for break – Niambele received $102.06. This may seem like great money – the kind companies like Uber and Lyft promise, the kind which attracts new drivers to join – there is the share that company itself gets.
According to Niambele, Lyft takes 36.4 percent from drivers. Of the $102.06 Niambele made so far, Lyft will take about $36. After 4.5 hours, Niambele walks away with approximately 66 dollars – which equates to less than $15 an hour.
Even in this brief amount of time, this is far from what Uber and Lyft claim drivers can receive. Expectations of a busy Saturday night are dashed. The business model, no matter how promising, operates with a flaw: drivers can only take a certain number of passengers in an allotted amount of time, and they must compete with mounting pressure from other drivers who are looking for the same customers. Ultimately, the percentage companies like Uber and Lyft take from drivers creates the biggest rift for financial stability.
Niambele has a long night ahead of him, and many more to come working for Uber and Lyft. The industry might not experience another revolution anytime soon, and drivers like Niambele will continue to depend on revolutions per minute to take them home.