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PUBLIC TESTIMONY

Testimony by Milan Gasawa, Member of New York Taxi Workers Alliance (TWA) on Uber and Lyft Deactivation Bill

4:08:32

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124 sec

Milan Gasawa, a member of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, testified in support of the Uber and Lyft deactivation bill. He shared personal experiences of being deactivated by Uber, emphasizing the need for driver protection against arbitrary deactivations and highlighting the power imbalance between drivers and ride-hailing companies.

Described feeling like a "slave in my own car" due to Uber and Lyft's unilateral power over drivers
Recounted being deactivated for 8 months after a customer complaint, despite having evidence of being assaulted by the passenger
Alleged targeted deactivation due to his involvement with the NY Taxi Workers Alliance

Milan Gasawa

4:08:32

Hello.

4:08:33

My name is Milan Gasawa.

4:08:35

I'm a member of NYCWA.

4:08:38

I'm here in support of the Uber and Lyft deactivation bill.

4:08:42

I think madam chairman can probably remember me.

4:08:46

I just wanna start by saying that as of right now, I feel like I am a slave in my own car.

4:08:52

Because Uber and Lyft are the prosecutor, the judge, and the jury in any case that was that is brought to them by any customer.

4:09:01

So I'm scared of anybody that come in my car because any customer can turn turn out to be my my life killer.

4:09:09

So I think as as I was saying, madam Chairman might remember, I was physically and verbally assaulted in my car.

4:09:16

People sprayed.

4:09:17

And I had all the evidences that I provided to Uber.

4:09:20

Uber still even Uber sent me $20 to go clean myself up.

4:09:24

And and after that, the customer call them I mean, send them an email and lie about me, and Uber still went ahead and deactivated me for 8 months.

4:09:31

Thanks to your help and the help of the WNYC radio who reactivated me after 8 months.

4:09:38

After I got in serious troubles, they reactivated me.

4:09:40

And after they realized I was very active with the NYC NYTWA 3 months after that, they deactivated me again claiming that somebody had fraud frauded my account in 2021, and this was in 2024.

4:09:55

So from 2021, somebody stole my identity.

4:09:58

Uber knew it.

4:09:58

They didn't say anything about it.

4:10:00

Until 2024 when they realized I was very active on the NYPDA platform.

4:10:04

They deactivated me again.

4:10:06

And I I stayed for the 2nd year, it was in 3 months.

4:10:10

I did everything until they deactivated me again.

4:10:13

They saw me back after the the big rally we did.

4:10:17

The very next day, I started getting all kind of emails from Uber saying, oh, some sessions have so said that you all they didn't like your comment.

4:10:24

So they sent me email that I don't know what custom customers said what what about me, what time, and what did they exactly say?

4:10:29

And I told them that I'm being targeted because of my implication with NYPDA.

4:10:35

So please help us out and pass the

Milan Pierre Lewis

4:10:37

bill, please.

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Testimony by Alfa Bari, Member of New York Taxi Workers Alliance (TWA)