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The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
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Uber Drivers Protest Fare Cuts in Long Island City

 Uber drivers rallied Monday outside the company's headquarters in Queens, protesting the ride-hailing service's decision to cut fares by 15 percent.
Uber drivers rallied Monday outside the company's headquarters in Queens, protesting the ride-hailing service's decision to cut fares by 15 percent.
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DNAinfo/Jeanmarie Evelly

LONG ISLAND CITY — Uber drivers rallied Monday outside the company's headquarters in Queens, protesting the ride-hailing service's decision to cut fares by 15 percent.

The cheaper rides — announced by Uber on Friday, with base fare in the city dropping from $3 to $2.55 — will mean less money for the drivers who rely on the app to make a living, protesters argued.

"We're losing about $200 to $400 a week, easy," said Salah-Eddine Kherif, 27, who's been driving an Uber car for about two years. "That's rent money for some people."

He and dozens of other drivers crowded the street and sidewalk in front of Uber's offices on Jackson Avenue and 42nd Road, holding signs and chanting "Shame on Uber," and "How Dare You?"

Several drivers complained to DNAinfo New York that while they'll now earn less per ride thanks to the fare cut, they still have to pay out the same commission rate to Uber — between 20 to 25 percent of each ride — in addition to sales tax and other fees.

"If you're going to reduce the fare price, you must reduce the commission rate," said 35-year-old Ese O’Diah, a driver with Uber for about a year. "No one can make a living like that."

Uber, however, argues that the lower fares encourage more New Yorkers to use the service — since the cuts went into effect Friday, drivers spent 39 percent less time waiting for hails and earned 20 percent more an hour compared to two weekends before, the company said.

"We lowered prices to get more people using Uber, which is good for drivers because it means less time waiting around for trips," the company said in a statement.

"As we have always said, price cuts need to work for drivers. If for any reason they are not, we will roll them back as we have done in other cities before."

But Sukhjieder Singh, 43, who's been driving an Uber for almost two years, wasn't convinced that the lower fares would give them a competitive edge.

"If they lower the price, everybody is going to lower the price," he said, estimating he'll need to work an extra two or three hours a day to make up the difference.

"They want to make extra money from our pockets."