Driving all day, copping abuse from passengers and shelling out thousands of dollars in tolls could become more bearable for rideshare drivers under new state protections.
But one major player has labelled the long-promised NSW provisions "redundant" in light of existing federal provisions.
NSW's Labor government will deliver on a pre-2023 election pledge to better protect gig workers with legislation being introduced to parliament.
As part of the changes, the Industrial Relations Commission will have the power to determine fair and reasonable pay and conditions.
Industrial Relations Minister Sophie Cotsis said the laws would give gig economy drivers the same rights as truckies, couriers and taxi drivers.
"For rideshare gig workers, they haven't had a level playing field," she told reporters on Thursday.
"They are unable to go to the Industrial Relations Commission and what we're doing is we're providing that mechanism ... to put it very simply, we're filling the gaps."
An Uber spokesman told AAP the bill needed scrutinising to avoid confusion, given nationwide changes were introduced in 2023.
"While the NSW government has taken some steps in this version of the bill to reduce the inherent duplication of the federal reforms, it remains redundant in light of the Closing Loopholes Act," he said.
Federal protections applied equally and consistently to all Australians working in the gig economy, regardless of where they choose to work, the spokesman said.
Under the state's plan, eligible gig workers could apply to the industrial umpire to set in stone contract agreements regulating their pay and conditions.
Rosalina Pirozzi, a rideshare driver for more than a decade, said her pay cheque had drastically reduced as more apps popped up and gave consumers greater choice.
"Week on week, drivers make less than the minimum wage once you factor in all the expenses like fuel, maintenance, insurance, tolls and (vehicle) registrations," she said.
"Everything's on the rise while our earnings are actually the opposite."
She hoped the changes would provide concrete labour rights and improve safety for thousands of workers, giving them a minimum wage, sick leave and workers' compensation.
Since 2017, 18 food delivery riders have been killed on Australian roads - 15 of them in Sydney.
Transport Workers Union NSW secretary Nick McIntosh said the regulations would place guardrails in an unregulated space.
"Finally you do not have to wake up one morning, look at the app and find that your rates have dropped, and say to yourself, I now have to work two hours more today to make the same as I did yesterday," he said.
The benefits would also extend to the struggling taxi industry by levelling the playing field against apps such as Uber and Didi, Mr McIntosh said.
"We will not have a race to the bottom in rates and conditions," he said.
"We will have a race to the top in service, in technology, in customer satisfaction."
