Uber Founder Travis Kalanick

Uber Inc. may be pushing its way into new markets every day with its popular ride-sharing mobile app, but many of its drivers are not happy with the direction in which the San Francisco-based company is heading.

Uber drivers staged protests in several cities yesterday, including San Francisco, Santa Monica, New York City and London, echoing earlier protests staged in September.

Their complaints against Uber include lowered fares, a confusing tipping policy, and what some drivers called an “unfair” five-star rating system.

Lower Fares

What started in New York City as a temporary discount on fares for the summer later turned into a permanently lowered price this year. The company advertised its new fares as “cheaper than a New York taxi,” with fares averaging $2 lower than a standard taxi and as much as $6 lower than previous Uber prices.

In September, one Uber driver said he had been losing $200 a week since the fares were lowered. Another claimed that in addition to driving for Uber, he also had to work for competing driving companies, adding, “You can’t make a living working only for Uber.”

Confusing Tipping Policy

Uber claims that a 20 percent gratuity is included in the fare, but this only applies to its UberTAXI service, not its UberX, UberSUV, or UberBLACK programs. Drivers also complained that they only saw half of that 20 percent gratuity and were forbidden by the company from accepting any additional cash tips from customers, even if those customers insisted.

In December 2013, a federal judge ruled that Uber drivers had the right to sue the company for misleading customers with the tipping policy.

Unfair Rating System

Uber uses a five-star rating system for both drivers and customers, but drivers can be punished with lockout periods or other penalties for dropping below Uber’s 4.7 star standard. Joseph De Wolf Sandoval recalled a one-star review he received for being unwilling to speed or run a red light for a customer.

De Wolf Sandoval noted that while drivers are held to a high rating standard, passengers can still receive service even with only a one-star rating.

Discussing the recent protests, an Uber spokesperson said in a statement: “The group protesting today represents a fraction of all Uber partners; the reality is that thousands of partners are out driving on the platform right now.”