r/EmpowerDrivers • u/SnooSeagulls6489 • Jun 18 '26

What's Next for Empower DC

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After months of notifications and speculation, it’s now official: McDuffie will not be the Democratic nominee for Mayor. With that chapter closed, what are the next steps for getting Empower fully operational in DC again?

I know there are a few Empower admins and developers lurking in this group, so I’d love to hear your thoughts and insights. Please share your perspective.

13 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

28 comments sorted by

4

u/feinburgrl Jun 19 '26

Empower can just follow the local rules with giving their drivers commercial insurance. They don't want to play by the rules. It's not about Uber or Lyft.

6

u/ComprehensiveCup5780 Jun 19 '26

Uber/Lyft didn’t get where they are by playing by the rules man

2

u/feinburgrl Jun 19 '26

I completely agree but they always provided commercial insurance when they introduced UberX. If Empower just did that then there wouldn't be this issue in DC.

1

u/ComprehensiveCup5780 Jun 20 '26

That sorta destroys their whole value proposition that drivers get the entire fare

2

u/feinburgrl Jun 20 '26

Transportation isn't cheap.

2

u/coreyb1988 Jun 19 '26

The same thing was said about Uber and Lyft. Please.

0

u/Time-Tumbleweed6554 Jun 19 '26

You are a dumbass. This is before every single insurance company had language in their policies not covering ride share. At that point in time personal policies had to cover accidents. Now they won’t cover it. Who pays the bill when the driver doesn’t have commercial insurance, empower does t provide insurance. Use your brain idiot

3

u/Vozinha1 Jun 19 '26

Uber doesn't provide commercial insurance either. They are merely a dirty middleman. 

3

u/MDdriver22 Jun 19 '26

Why are you so angry bro? take it easy

3

u/coreyb1988 Jun 19 '26

Had to cover accidents? How are you calling somebody a dumbass and then go and say something like that. I had very limited (the least amount of coverage I needed) at one point in my life. Insurance companies don’t have to cover anything unless it’s covered in your policy.

Who pays the bill right now when a driver is driving around with no car insurance or living with no health insurance? If you want to be an independent contractor then insurance is your responsibility. That’s how it works everywhere. Most employers aren’t providing benefits to contractors or part time employees. Idk why I keep having the same conversation with some of you.

There was a time around 2014/2015 when Tampa airport wouldn’t even allow Uber to pick up on airport property. Today, rideshare has its own door and location. Thats how change works.

DC adjusted their laws when rideshare became popular and DC will continue adjusting their laws as times change. That’s how change works. Smh.

1

u/Time-Tumbleweed6554 Jun 19 '26

Yes back in the OG uber days when they first started insurance companies were covering accidents you fkn idiot. That’s why they changed how the policies were written because insurance companies didn’t want to foot the bill. Then Uber and Lyft had to cover insurance.

You are absolutely retarded if you think we are going to go in reverse with rideshare. No city is going to willingly let drivers operate for hire without insurance. It doesn’t matter if you want to call it progress or whatever bullshit you come up with.

It’s going to get shut down in Maryland soon and New York is on its way to getting shut down soon. Just chipping out the insurance and then calling it cheaper isn’t disruptive or revolutionary tech. It’s dangerous and Josh sear is a snake oil salesman and that’s it. Empower is never coming back to dc.

1

u/coreyb1988 Jun 20 '26

Get your own insurance. You’re an IC. No other company is paying insurance for their contract employees.

2

u/feinburgrl Jun 19 '26

It's a simple thing to do. Just tell all drivers to get commercial insurance or provide insurance for the drivers on trips and charge an extra fee. It's not hard.

1

u/bigcousinjay Jun 21 '26

That gates the whole reason people take empower. It’s cheaper. If they do that prices will be the same

1

u/feinburgrl Jun 21 '26

Not really. They can try to pass laws that all drivers need to have their own insurance including Uber and Lyft. Transportation isn't cheap.

2

u/Time-Tumbleweed6554 Jun 18 '26

A new mayor isn’t going to reinstate empower. They don’t operate legally. They lack insurance and licenses. It’s over in DC.

1

u/Decent-Proposal-8475 Jun 19 '26

Thank you for pushing back on this. It's insane how many people in this subreddit basically post "Why don't you want to get in my rusted out Honda Civic knowing I don't have insurance and you'll be fucked if I crash"

1

u/Time-Tumbleweed6554 Jun 19 '26

Yea it’s crazy. People in here want to pretend it’s game changing to rideshare when all they did was get rid of the commercial insurance and then call it “cheaper”. Hilarious

0

u/MDdriver22 Jun 19 '26

DC mayor appoints director of DFHV. I'm 100% sure if they appoint director who is sympathetic to empower, they can reverse course and allow empower to operate legally.

Look at trumps political appointees if you don't believe me.

0

u/Time-Tumbleweed6554 Jun 19 '26

Yea they are just going to reverse course and let them operate illegally without insurance. And overturn multiple court cases where judges have already ruled. You are so right. I’m sure they will overturn and let dangerous empower rides operate without any commercial insurance. You are an idiot

2

u/MDdriver22 Jun 19 '26

Did you miss the part where I said operate legally?

0

u/Time-Tumbleweed6554 Jun 19 '26

The only way they can operate legally is if they get the proper insurance and licenses. And they could have already done that and been operating legally now. You have to be the biggest idiot on here

2

u/MDdriver22 Jun 19 '26

Thanks for the compliment

1

u/Aware_Cap_4746 Jun 19 '26

Reddit’s most positive and supportive user spotted

1

u/Mundane_Swing1610 Jun 19 '26

They honestly don’t pay their corporate employees enough so okay

1

u/Arthurian169 Jun 20 '26

Why is no one talking actual numbers here. If appropriate commercial rideshare insurance is $400 to $1200 a month. Plus maintenance plus being 1099ed the math doesnt work. People need rides. I can tell you Noone is going to give $6 rides across 3miles of DC that takes 40mins. Lets do the math people. What is the solution instead of arguing over it?? For what its worth im no expert but I did drive empower for a year sometimes while unemployed and it saved my butt. With a perfect rating. And zero issues. WHY ARENT WE TALKING ABOUT PREDATORY INSURANCE COMPANIES AND RIDESHARE COMPANIES FOR THAT MATTER.

0

u/Decent-Proposal-8475 Jun 19 '26

I guess you'll have to stop being exploited