Gas prices have continued to rise steadily causing problems for commuters here in Pennsylvania, but drivers working for ride-share services like Uber and Lyft have it even worse.
Drivers are seeing their profits drop daily, and there’s no signs of change on the horizon either.
“Oh, how much did it go up today?”
That’s the question many ride-share drivers like Rob Palmer are asking about gas prices daily.
“Since COVID, I was paying around a dollar (per-gallon) and now it’s all the way up to four-and-a-half or $4.60, and it’s taken a huge hit on my wallet and my earnings as an Uber driver,” said Palmer.
According to Palmer, Uber instituted a gas surcharge to help drivers offset the costs of fuel, but he only earns about forty-five cents per-ride.
“If I do 30 trips in a daywith a full tank, that’s like an extra fourteen bucks in my wallet but it’s notit’s a little bit, it helps, but I’m still struggling.”
He only sees one way to deal with this right nowdrive less.
“Especially during the summer, I’m not going to do much but once, once the students get back, once town gets a little bit more busier, especially when you have Artsfest coming up and Fourthfest coming, you know I’ll be out during then.”
Palmer added that he and other drivers in the area can only hope prices stop increasing before those events come around in July.