NEW ORLEANS — On Friday afternoon, dozens of local rideshare drivers drove from Armstrong International to New Orleans City Hall to protest low wages.
Drivers all echoed the same message; they want a bigger piece of the pie.
“Them surging the prices on the passengers and not paying their drivers. We are out here trying to make a living, just like everyone else," a driver said.
As they protested, they pulled out their phones to see the price of a ride from Armstrong International to downtown New Orleans. It was nearly $150.
“They give the driver like $28," a driver said.
“We are not slaves for this company," another driver said.
At one point, there were so many cars honking and stopped in front of City Hall that traffic could not pass. The NOPD responded quickly, and they continued to drive. One driver said he won't accept rides between 10 am to 10 pm Friday and Saturday.
“We will try to do it until we can get an answer from Lyft and Uber," a driver said.
Eyewitness News reached out to Lyft and Uber.
A spokesperson for Uber responded with a statement:
"Earnings for drivers on our platform remain high, with the average driver in New Orleans making over $30 an hour while active on the app. All drivers receive the fare and destination information upfront before they accept a trip," Uber's spokesperson said.
Uber also said Louisiana has one of the highest insurance costs in the country. It's required they have insurance that protects both riders and drivers. The cost is passed on to riders.
After insurance, taxes, fees and other regulatory costs are taken out, Uber says on average drivers pocket about 19 percent of a rider's fare.
Uber said MSY also charges four dollars for every airport trip, which is paid for by the rider. Meanwhile Lyft responded with a statement as well:
“We care deeply about the concerns of our drivers. That's why we introduced Upfront Pay in New Orleans last year, so drivers could have more ride and earnings information ahead of accepting a ride. It's why we've expanded our cashback rewards program to help drivers save at the pump. And it's why we provide drivers a weekly pay summary each week that shows a breakdown of their earnings and the total amount riders paid. We look forward to continuing to engage with drivers and exploring ways to improve their experience on the platform," Lyft said.
Lyft said it does not have a set "take rate" like Uber, and it encourages drivers to focus less on individual rides and more on weekly earnings.
"Sometimes a driver actually earns more on an individual ride than what the rider pays. The weekly summary allows that driver to put that individual ride into context with others to get a more accurate picture of how much on average they are earning compared to what riders are paying," Lyft said.
Meanwhile, drivers said the cost to drive has gone up.
“Low tire pressure. No oil in your vehicle. We need our money. We need to be compensated. This is not right," a driver said.
None of the drivers wanted to share their names out of fear their accounts would be deactivated.