美国国家公共电台 NPR Uber Allows Some Drivers To Set Their Own Fares

 

MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:

Uber is testing a new feature in California that allows drivers in some cities to set their own fares. It is part of an effort to give drivers more control and bolster¹ the argument that they truly are contractors². From Sacramento, Scott Rodd of Capital Public Radio reports the move is in response to a new state law that threatens Uber's business model.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Airline ticket count...

SCOTT RODD, BYLINE³: Bleary-eyed travelers filter out of Sacramento International Airport, towing suitcases of different shapes and sizes. Nar Bustamante just returned from Las Vegas and is walking to Uber's pickup⁴ location. He read about the new pricing experiment before landing, and he's a little skeptical⁵.

NAR BUSTAMANTE: I think it opens up the road to many misinterpretations between rider and driver. I don't really know what the normal rate is. It didn't say, here's what the normal rate would be. So I'm curious to see where this particular ride ends up.

RODD: Uber is testing the feature at airports in Sacramento, Palm Springs and Santa Barbara. Drivers can increase fares in 10% increments⁶ up to five times the base rate. Riders are then matched with the lowest fare. In the coming days, Uber says it will also allow drivers to decrease their prices below the base rate and opt⁷ out of surge pricing.

DANIEL DANKER: It could create more volatility⁸ for riders, who expect a level of consistency⁹ in prices that could change as a result of this.

RODD: Daniel Danker is the head of driver product at Uber.

DANKER: And this does add some meaningful complexity¹⁰ to the driver's experience that gives them even more control on how their earnings¹¹ work.

RODD: The change comes in response to a new California law that requires more companies to convert their contract workers to employees and offer them benefits and added protections. Companies including Uber, Lyft and delivery app Postmates argued that would upend their business model and eliminate the flexibility¹² inherent to the gig economy.

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RODD: In a parking lot about a mile south of Sacramento International Airport, drivers wait for a ping from Uber riders at the terminal. Adnan Badaoui has been using the new pricing feature and says even a small rate increase can add up for drivers.

ADNAN BADAOUI: If you go 10 miles, you're paying - it was $9. You're paying now $10. It's not that much difference, my friend, but it make difference to us as a driver.

RODD: But the change is throwing a curveball at some drivers, including Kim Beaver¹³.

KIM BEAVER: It's just going to be chaos¹⁴ and frustrating¹⁵ for people. You'll be waiting an hour to two hours to God knows how long.

RODD: She and her daughter, who also drives for Uber, tried the feature the day it launched.

BEAVER: So we started at 1.5 for an hour, got no ride. And then she's like, well, Mom, why don't you just go on to 1.0? And I bet you get a ride. The minute I hit 1.0, boom - I got my ride.

FRANCIS J MOOTZ III: This could easily become a race to the bottom. With bidding down the prices so low, it could really be brutal¹⁶ for the drivers.

RODD: Francis J. Mootz III is a professor at McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento. He says efforts like Uber's price experiment are likely too little too late to get an exemption¹⁷ from California's new labor¹⁸ law.

MOOTZ III: Two or three years ago, if Uber and Lyft and other rideshare companies had really tried to restructure in a way to give workers true independence, true entrepreneurial opportunities, it might have been different.

RODD: Gig companies continued to negotiate with state officials, seeking relief from the law.

For NPR News, I'm Scott Rodd in Sacramento.

(SOUNDBITE OF SOUND TRIBE SECTOR 9'S "TOKYO")

1 bolster   

n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励

参考例句：

• The high interest rates helped to bolster up the economy.高利率使经济更稳健。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

2 contractors   

n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 pickup   

n.拾起，获得

参考例句：

• I would love to trade this car for a pickup truck.我愿意用这辆汽车换一辆小型轻便卡车。||The luck guy is a choice pickup for the girls.那位幸运的男孩是女孩子们想勾搭上的人。

5 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

6 increments   

n.增长( increment的名词复数 )；增量；增额；定期的加薪

参考例句：

• These increments were mixed and looked into the 5.56mm catridge case. 将各种药粒进行混和，装在5．56毫米的弹壳中。 来自辞典例句
• The Rankine scale has scale increments equal to the FahrenheIt'scale. 兰氏温标的温度间距与华氏温标的相同。 来自辞典例句

7 opt   

vi.选择，决定做某事

参考例句：

• They opt for more holiday instead of more pay.他们选择了延长假期而不是增加工资。
• Will individual schools be given the right to opt out of the local school authority?各个学校可能有权选择退出地方教育局吗？

8 volatility   

n.挥发性，挥发度，轻快，（性格）反复无常

参考例句：

• That was one reason why volatility was so low last year.这也是去年波动性如此低的原因之一。
• Yet because volatility remained low for so long,disaster myopia prevailed.然而，由于相当长的时间里波动性小，灾难短视就获胜了。

9 consistency   

n.一贯性，前后一致，稳定性；(液体的)浓度

参考例句：

• Your behaviour lacks consistency.你的行为缺乏一贯性。
• We appreciate the consistency and stability in China and in Chinese politics.我们赞赏中国及其政策的连续性和稳定性。

10 complexity   

n.复杂(性)，复杂的事物

参考例句：

• Only now did he understand the full complexity of the problem.直到现在他才明白这一问题的全部复杂性。
• The complexity of the road map puzzled me.错综复杂的公路图把我搞糊涂了。

11 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

12 flexibility   

n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性

参考例句：

• Her great strength lies in her flexibility.她的优势在于她灵活变通。
• The flexibility of a man's muscles will lessen as he becomes old.人老了肌肉的柔韧性将降低。

13 beaver   

n.海狸，河狸

参考例句：

• The hat is made of beaver.这顶帽子是海狸毛皮制的。
• A beaver is an animals with big front teeth.海狸是一种长着大门牙的动物。

14 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

15 frustrating   

adj.产生挫折的，使人沮丧的，令人泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的现在分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's frustrating to have to wait so long. 要等这么长时间，真令人懊恼。
• It was a demeaning and ultimately frustrating experience. 那是一次有失颜面并且令人沮丧至极的经历。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

17 exemption   

n.豁免，免税额，免除

参考例句：

• You may be able to apply for exemption from local taxes.你可能符合资格申请免除地方税。
• These goods are subject to exemption from tax.这些货物可以免税。

18 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。