DENVER (KDVR) – Americans are traveling again, but AAA Colorado said some people can expect a bumpy ride back to work on Monday.
“People are going to be a little bit out of the travel habit, both in the morning and in the evening, that’s to be expected,” said Skyler McKinley of AAA Colorado.
Due to the busy travel season, a group in Denver, Colorado Independent Drivers United, decided to leave the car for a few hours this weekend.
“They were going to need rides, so we set a very specific time in the morning that Saturday to send a message,” said Steve Lustig, with CIDU.
While they are not an officially recognized union, the group said they have leverage against the big stock companies.
“We have to use the power that we have, which is the workers, the drivers,” Lustig said, “without us, these companies are just zero and one, they’re just an app.”
In a statement to FOX31 Lyft said the following in part about the protest: American drivers earned an average of $35 an hour, including tips and bonuses, in the last quarter.
For their part, Uber reported earnings for drivers in Colorado as some of the highest in the country at more than $37 an hour.
“We’re asking for transparency in ride-hailing algorithms from Uber and Lyft,” Lustig said.
Colorado Independent Driver’s United said they want more information about their rides and how much of a cut the companies are getting.
“A ride from the airport to downtown Denver sometimes costs $17,” Lustig said.
The group said they may plan another protest on a busy travel weekend again soon, but would not commit to a specific date.
