The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission has decided to move ahead with a proposal that could (if implemented) force cab aggregators to offer options for tipping, regardless o the kind of payment they accept. So basically, even services that accept payments exclusively through credit cards, will be forced to add an option that will let drivers accept tips through the same channel. The proposal could be aimed at Uber, which has so far been wary of introducing just such a feature to its mobile platform.
The proposal comes after an initial step taken by the the Independent Drivers Guild (IDG). The IDG represents Uber drivers in the NYC and wields significant clout in the community. The group had put forward a petition regarding this very issue and managed to receive well over 11,000 signatures supporting the implementation of an in-app tipping option. Once that happened, the issue was taken up by the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission.
Meanwhile, the proposal is merely the first step. The proposal will also require formal introduction, following which a public hearing that will ask for feedback from members of the drivers community will take place. Once all these steps have taken place, a final vote that will decide the fate of the proposal will take place.
Commenting on the issue, IDG founder Jim Conigliaro, Jr. said:
Today’s decision is a vitally important step forward for drivers. In-app tipping will mean a raise of hundreds of millions of dollars for New York City drivers each year. Drivers have long been denied access to the kinds of benefits and labor protections many workers take for granted, such as paid sick leave or the minimum wage. As a result, New York City’s professional drivers have traditionally depended on gratuities for a substantial portion of their income. Cuts to driver pay across the ride-hail industry has made tipping income more important than ever.
Those who are exclusively accepting payments in cash, would be able to continue accepting tips through the same channel as well and won’t be required to offer a card-based tipping method.
