Uber limo drivers say they were cut off from mobile app

Complaining that Uber deliberately disconnected them from the mobile app that links them to customers, about 50 angry Uber limousine drivers thronged Tuesday outside Uber's offices near Philadelphia International Airport, demanding compensation for lost fares.

The drivers, affiliated with the company's limousine division known as UberBlack, had gathered for a meeting around 4:15 p.m. Tuesday at the airport holding parking lot where limo drivers wait to pick up riders at the airport. The drivers said they were talking about their complaints that Uber was allowing drivers for the more commonly used UberX division to cut into their business. They say UberX drivers can charge less because they do not have to pay for a limousine license.

The drivers said Uber management learned about the meeting and was able to track down which drivers were there using the GPS system that is part of the Uber app. UberBlack drivers working elsewhere in the city were not cut off from the system, the drivers said. The drivers were reconnected later that afternoon, they said, but the disruption disturbed their places in the queue of drivers waiting to be hired.

Due to a technical issue, drivers were unexpectedly logged off the Uber app for two minutes while waiting in the virtual queue at the airport, an Uber spokesman said, adding that drivers would be compensated for each hour they were in the queue before being logged off. There were similar issues at other airports, the spokesman said.    - Jane M. Von Bergen