Uber drivers quitting over high gas prices

Our high gas prices are also making it harder for the drivers for ride-booking apps like Uber and Lyft, which could mean longer waits for anyone trying to get a ride.

Patrick Hoffman has been an Uber driver for around 3.5 years, but because of the recent surge in gas prices, he’s looking for a new job. He says ride-booking drivers aren’t the only ones who will be hurt; the surge will also impact those looking for a ride.

“They are going to come across driver shortages, you know, their wait time’s gonna be longer,” Hoffman said. “I already get complaints because we’re in the middle of season right now, that they wait, they’ve been waiting 20, 25 minutes for a ride… I am looking for a full-time job now, because it’s, you know, it’s between the wear and tear, the gas, and it’s not worth it for me to be on the road.”

Hoffman says some people have recently had to wait even longer for a ride, 30 to 40 minutes, and it’s a range that may increase along with gas prices. Hoffman has spent up to 45 hours a week driving people across Southwest Florida to their destination, but he says he isn’t making much of a profit recently.

“If I make $1,000 that week, it means I’m only actually making $700,” Hoffman said. “With the gas prices now, and they keep going up, it’s like every other day they’re going up 20%. So, who knows what they’re going to be by Friday, they’ll probably be over $5… between the money that we make, and you know, we rely on customers tipping us.”

WINK News has reached out to Uber to find out what it is doing to offset the cost of gas for its drivers. A spokesperson with Lyft says it now has a fuel cashback program where drivers can earn cash back at 25,000 stations nationwide.