PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Saif Aiza, Taxi Driver, on Uber and Lyft Driver Deactivation
4:15:02
·
125 sec
Saif Aiza, a taxi driver, testified in support of Intro 276 regarding unfair deactivation practices by ride-hailing companies. He shared his personal experience of being deactivated by Uber and Lyft, which left him without work for almost a year and caused significant financial and mental stress.
- Aiza was deactivated by Uber in Baltimore due to alleged fraud and having multiple accounts, despite going through a 30-day background check.
- Lyft followed suit and deactivated his account as well, leaving him unable to work and struggling to pay his bills.
- The experience caused Aiza to suffer from financial stress, mental health issues, and high blood pressure.
Saif Aiza
4:15:02
My name is Save Aiza.
4:15:04
Thank you, and I really appreciate your immediate chance to over extend and testify in support of the building and show 276 for unpaid deactivation.
4:15:13
Aside from what you've been heard from all the testimonies, my story is very unique and very tragic.
4:15:19
After COVID, I decided to go in work in Baltimore and Maryland.
4:15:24
I signed up for Uber, and Uber took 30 days to investigate me into a background check, and they found a speeding ticket.
4:15:33
Finally, they opened the account for me in Baltimore, Maryland, which I have to use my private car.
4:15:38
Then I uploaded my insurance card, which have my wife middle name, the same as my last name.
4:15:46
Then they said I was trying to make fraud.
4:15:48
I went to Uber and I provided from the broker that correct and I corrected everything on my insurance card.
4:15:56
Then I have to go and throw so much.
4:16:00
Uber finally said, well, you have double accounts.
4:16:03
1 in New York and 1 in Maryland.
4:16:05
After the fact that they investigated me and did a background check for 30 days, Then they said, this is the final decision.
4:16:12
They don't make it here.
4:16:13
It comes from California.
4:16:15
So I said, give me one account at least so I can survive or, you know, try at least work with one account.
4:16:24
They said, after I went to them again, they said, no.
4:16:27
Mind you that Lyft follows and Lyft did the same thing, and I was out of work.
4:16:33
I have to pay my car payments, my insurance, all my bills struggling for almost 1 year 1 year.
4:16:41
Then I tried to go back with Lyft and Uber again.
4:16:45
Lyft then finally decided to open my account again.
4:16:49
This is what happens, and this is the miss we have to go through.
4:16:53
Besides all of this financial stress, I get stress, I get mental stress, I get my health problems, I get high blood pressure just because of what Uber is doing to us drivers.
4:17:06
Thank you.