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It’s clear from the incredible popularity of ride-hailing services, car sharing, and personal car rentals along with a number of other transportation developments that the younger generation is letting go of the reliance on the personal car as the lone method for getting around.

In California this fact is providing a window for the state to make advances in cutting smog-forming, climate-heating emissions generated by automobiles. After all, it’s this group that creates about 40 percent of greenhouse-gas emissions in the state.

Nevertheless, this excellent opportunity to reduce emissions could go away due to a developing problem. Specifically, the employment procedures of ride-hailing companies could damage or wipe-away this window altogether.

New transportation companies, like Uber and Lyft, are responsible for a rising share of the vehicle miles that happen in urban areas. In San Francisco they account for more than 13 percent. Consequently, new legislation was passed in 2018 to ensure that these companies don’t produce more pollution. The legislation established emissions-reductions targets for this niche industry.

It lays out that starting in 2023 these companies are mandated to cut their overall climate pollution. Furthermore, the state will create a package of incentives and rules to encourage the use of zero-emissions vehicles.

Companies Already Taking Emission Cutting Measures

These kind of measures already exist for other industries that involve large numbers of vehicles. For example, transit departments in California are beginning the switch to all-electric buses.

Starting next year UPS plans to mandate that every 1 in 4 trucks it busy will be an advanced technology truck. Furthermore, the U.S. Postal Service has stated it will trim its fleet emissions by a whopping 30 percent by 2025.

These larger programs tend to work when the elevated capital costs are distributed across the system. However, they are not effective when the companies place this burden on the employees by labeling them independent contractors.

Simply put, the drivers are the least financially equipped to make sure their vehicles meet the increased standards. As a result, compliance can prove lackluster and then the environment suffers. What do you guys think? It seems clear these companies must make their drivers employees, right?