Uber customers in New York City are disgusted at the Uber cab service and in a result are deleting the ride-sharing application after learning that the cab service defied 28 January (Saturday) taxi strike at JFK Airport, which was aimed at protesting Donald Trump’s immigration policy.
The New York Taxi Workers Alliance had asked all the taxi drivers to protest President Trump’s agenda to effectively ban Muslims from seven countries entering the United States– by not picking up fares at the airport Saturday night.
Yet Uber cab service continued to not only sends its drivers to pick up fares, it also turned off its surge pricing in an attempt to drum up more business.
“Taxis striking at JFK against the Muslim ban. Uber, whose CEO advises Donald Trump, breaking the strike, supporting the ban. Delete delete delete,’’ Meredith Whittaker tweeted last night, referencing Uber head honcho Travis Kalanick, who sits on Trump’s board.
The livery app Lyft also remained operational during the period.
Kae Burke Cofounder and director of “House of Yes” said that she used to use Uber cabs transport her performers, but deleted the app on Sunday morning and will use Lyft from now.
Burke said one of the strongest ways for people to be heard was with their dollars and have to be very careful about where they want to spend their money. “The Uber is watching. It’s going to hurt them, and they will regret it.”
While Uber directed its cars towards the airport on Saturday, But CEO Kalanick seemed different on his Facebook page, acknowledging that a number of his drivers come from affected countries and “take long breaks to go back home to see their extended family.”
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He also added that the company was “working out a process to identify and compensate” drivers currently stuck outside the United States and who may be unable to return due to the ban, in the hopes they can “help mitigate some of the financial stress and complications with supporting their families and putting food on the table.”
A spokesperson for Uber said on Sunday that the whole situation was just a misunderstanding.
By Sunday, the Taxi Workers Alliance had halted the protest in JFK airport pick-ups and were instead protesting in Battery Park, a reporter said.
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