Atlanta rideshare drivers rally against Waymo expansion ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Rideshare drivers rallied Thursday in Atlanta, saying autonomous vehicle services are already cutting into their earnings and that the shift is happening without their involvement. Bob Chouhan, co-leader of the Atlanta Rideshare Drivers Union, said the pace of Waymo’s expansion concerns him. “The rate at which they’ve been coming into this market, they could easily within a space of the next few years replace all drivers because they don’t need bathroom breaks, they don’t need to sleep,” Chouhan said. Chouhan has driven for Uber and Lyft for several years. He said the work was once a reliable source of income but has since declined. “As time has gone by it’s gradually become a little bit of a nightmare for us because the income has whittled away,” he said. Chouhan said shorter, in-city trips — once among the most profitable — are no longer coming through. “Those were some of the best paying rides back then and now we’re seeing that a big number of those type of rides have actually been lost. We don’t get them anymore,” he said. Uber said autonomous vehicles will create new opportunities but will also displace workers. The company said 85% of its drivers use the platform fewer than 40 hours per week. In a statement, Uber said it is working on transitions for affected workers. “Durable solutions will require broader collaboration among governments, industry, and worker representatives,” the company said. Georgia state Rep. Gabriel Sanchez, D-Smyrna, said he believes corporate decisions around the rollout are being made without community input. “Our community is supposed to be built with the input of the people right and that is not what’s happening,” Sanchez said. Sanchez also said he is concerned about the potential