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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Raul Rivera, Founder of NYC Drivers Unite, on Technology and Ride-Sharing Services
2:46:44
·
3 min
Raul Rivera, founder of NYC Drivers Unite and a taxi driver, testified about the dangers of technology in ride-sharing services, particularly focusing on Uber's practices. He emphasized the need to prioritize humans over technology and called for the deactivation of Uber in New York City due to its exploitation of drivers.
- Rivera highlighted the lack of recourse for drivers who are deactivated by Uber, often without cause and with no ability to speak to a real person.
- He pointed out that 90% of affected drivers are immigrants with language barriers, making them particularly vulnerable to exploitation.
- Rivera called for city officials to revoke Uber's license and remove it from the App Store, criticizing other advocacy groups for not taking a strong enough stance against the company.
Raul Rivera
2:46:44
Good afternoon.
2:46:45
I wanna start off with a with a quote that I that I created a few years ago.
2:46:50
I I'm a big fan of technology.
2:46:52
I love technology.
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Humans first, technology second, today, tomorrow, forever.
2:46:57
I repeat, humans first, technology second, today, tomorrow, forever.
2:47:02
Technology can be very helpful.
2:47:04
It could be very thin dangerous.
2:47:06
We just I tried to link up with the commissioner that was here to technology, and he spoke for, like, 2 hours.
2:47:13
And we tried to link up with his office.
2:47:14
I tried to speak to his people.
2:47:16
Not one had a business card.
2:47:19
So I think about that.
2:47:20
We're talking about technology, but they can't even have a little piece of paper.
2:47:24
I I do.
2:47:24
I have I have information.
2:47:26
I have a dot card.
2:47:27
So I have you know, I can give up my information.
2:47:31
I'm the founder of NYC Jarvis United.
2:47:33
I'm a taxi driver.
2:47:34
I have over 23,000 trips with Uber and Lyft.
2:47:38
People may think that Uber is a a cab company or or cab base.
2:47:43
But, actually, they go on the technology, and that's why we hear today.
2:47:46
And we just testify on Friday about the exploitation of Uber.
2:47:53
Drivers are getting deactivated at will with new recourse.
2:47:59
They they try to get reactivated by responding to emails.
2:48:04
They can't speak to actual person.
2:48:07
So we we spoke to to the chair, and when we spoke to the commissioner, and we spoke to Josh Gold from from over, And we told them that we basically, we want Uber deactivated from New York, and they can deactivate thousands of drivers.
2:48:22
Why can, as a city, reactivate Uber?
2:48:26
We can deactivate Uber.
2:48:28
They're not they're not doing the right thing for for the people of New York City.
2:48:31
I'm a driver.
2:48:32
They are exploiting people of color.
2:48:34
Right?
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You wanna protect people of color.
2:48:36
90% of the drivers are immigrants with a language barrier.
2:48:40
And then they're losing their livelihoods.
2:48:42
They're just getting deactivated.
2:48:43
I know a driver that just reached out to me, he had he had 29,000 trips with Uber.
2:48:48
You know how hard that is to do?
2:48:50
29,000 trips with Uber.
2:48:52
Somebody made a small complaint, and he was gone.
2:48:55
Now he's out of business, but he has a new vehicle that he has to pay for.
2:48:58
So, you know, with technology, you have to be very careful.
2:49:02
You know, we're gonna we're gonna call for the deactivation.
2:49:06
We've been putting videos out.
2:49:08
I don't know who listens in this city anymore.
2:49:10
You know, the things that are happening here.
2:49:11
We have to we have to advocate.
2:49:13
We have to edit our videos.
2:49:14
We have to be we have to do everything.
2:49:16
So right now, we're calling for the elimination of Uber from the App Store, and we want them deactivated from the city.
2:49:23
We spoke to the commissioner, and I told them there is a solution, and the solution is to revoke Uber's license.
2:49:30
And then we got all these groups, these taxi workers alliance, and IDG.
2:49:34
They say all kinds of things, and they draft bills here and there, but they never say, remove Uber.
2:49:41
Yeah.
2:49:41
Go hard or go home.
2:49:42
We wanna deactivate Uber from New York City.
2:49:44
Thank you so much.