Uber Likely to Temporarily Stop California Operations Due to New Driver Ruling

By Ayanti Bera | August 12, 2020

Uber Technologies Inc. would be forced to shut down its ride-hailing operations in California if a court ruling that blocks it from classifying its drivers as independent contractors goes into effect, the company said in a court filing.

A California judge on Monday granted the state’s request for a preliminary injunction blocking Uber and rival Lyft Inc from classifying their drivers as independent contractors rather than employees.

Several hundred thousand “gig” workers, including many at ride-hailing companies and app-based food delivery services, are affected by the law known as Assembly Bill 5 (“AB5”), which took effect on Jan. 1.

The shutdown would irreparably harm Uber and the people who rely on its rides operations to generate income, the company said in its court filing on Tuesday.

“If the court doesn’t reconsider, then in California, it’s hard to believe we’ll be able to switch our model to full-time employment quickly,” Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi was quoted as saying by CNBC on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Bera in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)

Related:

Topics California Personal Auto Sharing Economy Ridesharing

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Latest Comments

  • August 13, 2020 at 1:40 pm
    Bond says:
    SB5 was garbage, typical over reach by a single party system in this state that seeks to run everything we do, businesses will be shut down and more people will be leaving, gu... read more
  • August 12, 2020 at 11:22 pm
    okt0ber says:
    Or what they'll do is just stop operating, watch the DUI rate skyrocket especially post COVID when bars reopen and people who are sick of being cooped up all go out and binge ... read more
  • August 12, 2020 at 1:30 pm
    Craig Winston Cornell says:
    Uber needs to learn how to play the game like their Silicon Valley buddies like Twitter and Facebook. First, give lots of campaign cash to Democrats so they won't eliminate yo... read more

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