President Donald Trump’s signing of an executive order that bans refugees and immigrants from seven countries has had contrasting implication on the ride-sharing firms Uber and Lyft which perhaps both weren’t expecting. While Uber is having to deal with wide-scale backlash for its moves which the company claim has been misinterpreted, Lyft has enough reasons to cheer.
All of it started after President Trump imposed a six-month ban on refugees and immigrants from Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Libya, Yemen, and Somalia for three months and indefinitely from Syria. Trump’s team argued it is aimed at curbing the menace of terrorism, a section of the population joined in a mass protest against the order claiming it to be anti-Muslim.
Among the protestors include the New York Taxi Alliance that cancelled all pickups from the John F. Kennedy Airport for an hour. Uber later announced they had scrapped surge pricing at the airport, which the protestors believed is an attempt to malign the taxi stir.
Uber got into the damage control act almost immediately, claiming their move wasn’t aimed against the taxi strike. The company also stated their official stand which is against such discrimination, besides also underlining their decision to compensate all of their employees affected by the order for the stated period.
Unfortunately for Uber, the damage had already been done by then with the hashtag #DeleteUber that called for uninstalling Uber already trending on Twitter. While there are no official figures of how many have deleted all traces of Uber from their devices, rival firm Lyft has seen its fortunes soar post the immigrant ban.
What has further made many to make the switch to Lyft is their announcement to donate a million dollars to the American Civil Liberties Union or ALCU. Lyft’s explicit condemnation of Trump’s order too has earned it a lot of praise, which many claims is in accordance with what America stands for, to provide for a level playing field for all for anywhere in the world.
Meanwhile, Uber also stated they have set up a legal defense fund with comprising of $3 million to help support the driver from the effected countries, besides also setting up of a legal assistance cell that can be availed of 24/7.
