Although Iran being at war feels so far away, locally one of the most prominent issues for York’s Uber drivers right now is the constant rise in fuel prices.
On February 28th when the US and Israel commenced war with Iran, Iran then decided to retaliate by blocking ships from passing through The Strait of Hormuz.
According to MarineTraffic, there has been a a 70% decrease in vessels travelling through the strip.
The passageway exports “nearly 20% of the worlds oil, 20% of the world’s natural gas supply, and around 30% of global fertiliser exports”- energy advice hub
The increased costs of transporting oil, on top of higher insurance prices has cause the price per barrel to surge.
This has created a knock on affect for consumers locally such as York’s Uber drivers who need to pay for petrol or diesel in order to earn money.
Brent crude oil peaked on May 4th, at approximately $112 per barrel, coming close to the highest ever price of oil Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Since February, the price per litre (PPL) of fuel at the pump has increased by £26.20 for petrol and diesel £50.40.
The RAC sets the current UK PPL for petrol at 158.1p and diesel at 191.3.p
Car sales company heycar, estimates that it costs £87 to fill the average family car.
This means approximately 11.4% of a families weekly earnings are being spent on petrol.
For York’s Uber and Taxi drivers, this fuel price increase has hit hard.
Uber drivers take on average 60% earnings from the price of the trip.
With an average trip cost of £10-15 this means drivers are making approximately £6-£9 per trip.
Muhammad, one of York’s Uber drivers from Bradford, has been a driver for two years, he says:
“To be honest it’s really hard, we’re really struggling.”
He went on to explain that petrol prices is only a part of the problem.
“Petrol price rises up so the food will be expensive so things like electrical and gas, everything is rising.”
“We also have to pay for insurance, road tax on top of petrol.”
Not only is there a rise in fuel prices, Muhammad also shared that “there are so many drivers in York now so you get less jobs.”
There are over 100,000 registered Uber drivers in the UK.
Muhammad figured out from his badge number that of those 100,000, over 21,600 of them are registered in Bradford.
For a taxi or uber driver to legally be able to provide their service in an area, they must register through the local council.
Muhammad says ““The council let too many people be taxi drivers, they say we earn money so we don’t care.”
The surplus of drivers means there are fewer jobs for each driver, Muhammad says:
“I’ve noticed that Bradford drivers go far far from their homes.”
“I drive 40 miles here and 40 miles back home at the end of the day, I need to do the dead mileage.”
Muhammad is one of many Uber drivers recently who have expressed concern for the recent fuel increase.
Muhammad as to work 7 days a week to be able to support his family.
“I am a full time taxi driver”
“I come home every single day one, two, three in the morning and I get home and everyone is asleep.”
Ubers workers union GMB showed that Muhammad and his fellow drivers are not alone in their struggle.
The secretary of GMB union for the Northern region, Azar Asfar, says:
“This is a pressing issue that impacts every facet if transportation, from school runs, to short local trips, and even longer journeys.”
“If conditions persist, we risk losing our dedicated professionals who are vital to our communities.”
“We understand that passengers are also grappling with financial challenges due to the cost-of-living crisis.”
“This situation creates a cycle of strain that affects everyone involved.”
Uber is often students first choice as transport home from clubs and bars late at night.
It’s helpful for anyone commuting in an out of the city for work late at night, and tourists to the city and many more.
Listen to some of the interview with Muhammad below:
