A new New York City regulation could force Uber and other on-demand car services to offer tipping for drivers in their app, a change that could make driving more lucrative in the city.
The city's Taxi and Limousine Commission issued a proposal Monday that would require car services that only take credit cards to offer riders a tipping option on the same card.
Riders have been able to tip cash in Uber cars up to now, but have not had an in-app option to add a tip via credit card. Uber competitor Lyft already offers a tipping option in its app.
The Independent Drivers Guild, which is affiliated with the Machinists Union, collected more than 11,000 signatures on a petition calling on Uber to add tipping to its app. The company, in a statement, said it had not seen the proposal yet but that it was "constantly working" to improve opportunities for drivers.
"That’s why, in New York City, we partnered with the Machinists Union to make sure current and future Uber NYC drivers have a stronger voice and launched a series of new tools and support policies for drivers," the company said in a statement.
The TLC rulemaking process is expected to take a few months.
