Critics are calling for a "Passenger Bill of Rights" to establish safety standards for ride-booking services like Uber and Lyft, as the terms of use for these companies place the burden of safety on passengers and admit drivers may pose risks. The proposed Bill of Rights would ensure passengers are entitled to vetted drivers who undergo background checks, have commercial licenses and insurance, and provide rides in safe, functioning vehicles. A poll found 91% of Americans support regulations for ride-hailing drivers, increasing pressure on lawmakers to take action as safety issues with the app-based industry continue to be reported.

1. (NU) - They’ve reached what
you could call the braking point.
Fueled by anger over Uber and
other ride-booking services’ own
warnings that their drivers may
pose a “risk,” critics are calling for
a “Passenger Bill of Rights” that
would serve as a stop-gap until
lawmakers act to officially crack
down on the app-based industry’s
most egregious safety issues.
Safety -- or the lack of it -- has
been a major concern ever since
news reports began piling up of
ride-booking drivers across the
country being arrested for al-
legedly raping and assaulting pas-
sengers. And with the companies
fighting efforts to subject their dri-
vers to the same rigorous back-
ground checks as taxi and limou-
sine drivers, the last straw may
have been the discovery that the
“terms of use” posted on their own
websites appear to place the bur-
den on passengers to decide who
they’re willing to entrust their lives
to behind the wheel.
“By using the services,” Uber
states, “you acknowledge that you
may be exposed to situations in-
volving third-party providers” --
meaning, their drivers -- “that are
potentially unsafe, offensive,
harmful to minors, or otherwise
objectionable, and that use of
third-party providers arranged or
scheduled using the services is at
your own risk.”
And from Lyft, another top
industry player: “Users under-
stand and accept that Lyft has no
control over the identity or ac-
tions of the riders and drivers. . .
Drivers and riders use the ser-
vices at their own risk.”
The Bill of Rights intentional-
ly includes all “ground transporta-
tion,” not just app-based services
like Uber, Lyft, Sidecar andWhisk.
That jibes with the stance of the
non-profit National LimousineAs-
sociation, which suggested the
guidelines as part of its “Ride Re-
sponsibly” campaign, that “every-
one be held to the same standards.”
“As the global voice of the pri-
vate driver transportation indus-
try,” said Gary Buffo, the NLA’s
president, “we feel it is our oblig-
ation to promote a safer and more
accountable system for passengers
and operators.”
Among the rights passengers
would be entitled to:
• Proof of commercial-for-hire
licensing and certifications.
• A safe and courteous driver
covered by commercial vehicle in-
surance (which ride-booking dri-
vers may or may not have).
• A fully vetted and trained dri-
ver who’s undergone official crim-
inal background checks and pre-
hire drug testing.
• Air-conditioning on request.
• Fully functioning seat belts.
• A quoted fare and final
charge that match the agreed
upon amount.
• Assurance that the vehicle has
undergone regular inspections and
is certified as being safe.
With a new Harris Poll show-
ing a whopping 91 percent of
Americans believe there should
be mandatory rules and regula-
tions for ride-hailing drivers, the
NLA also stepped up pressure on
lawmakers by setting up a web-
site (www.rideresponsibly.org) to
provide a forum for public debate
on the issue.
Uber to Passengers: Our Drivers May Be Unsafe
CONSUMER NEWS
NewsUSA
Time for a new Passenger
Bill of Rights?
NewsUSA