Uber drivers pose by their vehicles Thursday, Sept. 14, 2022, at the Pendleton Convention Center on Tough Enough to Wear Pink Day of the Pendleton Round-Up. The 18 active drivers in the Let’er Uber Pendleton Oregon group logged more than 877 hours from Sept. 10 to Sept. 18.

PENDLETON — Uber drivers were busy during Pendleton Round-Up week, Nathan Koplin of Pendleton reported Monday, Sept. 19.

Koplin surveyed the 18 most active members of the group of drivers to which he belongs, Let’er Uber Pendleton Oregon, as to hours worked and number of trips during nine days and nights.

“We ended up with over 877 hours from the Saturday (Sept. 10) parade to Sunday (Sept. 18),” Koplin said. “We gave out 1,730 trips.”

Koplin also collected data for the group during Pendleton Music Whisky Fest in July and Jackalope Jamboree in June. His day job is in the accounting department of Interpath Laboratory, Pendleton.

“I’ll bring these figures to the city when they make their final decision on Uber,” Koplin said. “I couldn’t imagine having another Round-Up without Uber for a ride home. It takes all forms of public transit, free and paid shuttle buses, Kayak, Elite Taxi, Uber, etc.”

Koplin said his group’s slogan is “Don’t drink and drive; take an Uber!”

Elite Taxi Inc., Pendleton’s lone taxi company, registered Let’er Uber LLC with the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office on Aug. 8. Koplin noted his group’s Facebook page already was using Let’er Uber Pendleton Oregon.

“It’s amazing what we’ve done in this trial period,” he said. “We’re trained to cover a 24-hour period, but there are just so many of us. It’s all hands on deck as day goes into night. During Round-Up, I worked from 12 noon or 1 p.m. until 3 or 4 a.m the following day.”

Koplin had three out of town trips, to Hermiston, Umatilla and Union. Other group members drove to Hermiston, Pasco and Walla Walla. Ride-hailing services are able to take passengers out of town, he noted.

“Most of us do have a day job,” Koplin said. “Drivers typically work 20 hours per week, because they hold down full-time jobs.”

Some Uber drivers’ regular workplaces were closed because tents and vendors blocked access. Pendleton Quicky Lube had vendors in its parking lot, so workers there had the whole week off, Koplin said.

“Uber is good for all of us,” he concluded. “We help our community get around safely and ourselves financially. Some of us took the whole week off from our day jobs. Five members worked over 75 hours each. They helped alleviate some of the mass demand for transportation.”