Coronavirus impacting rideshare workers

Coronavirus impacting rideshare workers

People to help.

Ride share drivers are already seeing a major impact from the coronavirus - during one of the busiest times of year.

People who do it full time told waay 31's ashley carter, the coronavirus fallout is life- changing.

Felicity flippen, uber driver: "i'm definitely not sure if i'm going to make the rent this month."

Felicity flippen told me she enjoys driving for uber full time.

As the mother of two young girls - she said the job allows her plenty of flexibility.

But flippen told me .... as more cases of coronavirus are confirmed in alabama, the number of passengers she can pick up is dropping.

Felicity flippen, uber driver: "i saw easily a 60% decrease in rides almost immediately."

Putting a financial burden on families felicity flippen, uber driver: "i've got two little girls, we love it here we moved halfway across the country from anybody we know to you know start a better life and it's definitely hard."

Walter kopczynski, uber driver: "it's a very big headache, a financial nightmare really" walter cup-chin-ski has been an uber driver for two years...he said business slowed down this week.

Ashley: "kopczynski says he usually picks up about 150 passengers a night, but when he was out ubering on monday night, he only picked up about four."

Walter kopczynski, uber driver: "you can tell it was just an immediate drop off."

Cup-chin-ski said this is usually one of his busiest weeks of the year - between the ausa conference and st patrick's day... walter kopczynski, uber driver: "it's like christmas for the uber and lyft drivers and this week it's like nothing."

Now cup-chin-ski and flippen are forced to cut back and adjust walter kopczynski, uber driver: "try to stick to priorities, what needs to be paid what doesn't and what you can get away without buying, what you don't need you don't get."

And hold out hope that things will eventually change....and business will be back to normal soon felicity flippen, uber driver: "the minute that 14 days is up, they're going to want to get out of the house, they're not going to want to be there, they're going to want to go anywhere even if it's just a drive thru to go pick up some dougnuts."

In madison co.ashley carter waay 31 news.

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Flippen says she's seen a pick-up in food delivery - but that's starting to change as well uber announced it is suspending its pool service option in both the united states and canada!

Pool allows you to split the cost of your ride with a stranger who is heading in a similar direction as you.

Uber sent an in-app message to their customers asking them to only travel when necessary to quote "make sure rides are available for those who truly