Uber Ramps Up Background Checks for Drivers
DETROIT (AP) — In light of a string of recent crimes involving its drivers and passengers. Uber will start doing annual criminal background checks on U.S. drivers and hire a company that constantly monitors criminal arrests as it tries to do a better job of keeping riders safe.
The move announced Thursday is one of several actions taken by the ride-hailing company under new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, who said that the changes aren't just being done to polish the company's image, which has been tarnished by driver misbehavior and a long string of other embarrassing failings.
"The first thing that we want to do is really change Uber's substance, and the image may follow," he said in an interview with The Associated Press. "The announcements that we're making are just a step along the way of making Uber fundamentally safer for drivers and riders."
Other safety features include buttons in the Uber app that allow riders to call 911 in an emergency, as well as app refinements that make it easier for riders to share their whereabouts with friends or loved ones.
Since it began operating in 2009, Uber has been dogged by reports of drivers accosting passengers, including lawsuits alleging sexual assaults. Last year the company was fined $8.9 million by the state of Colorado for allowing people with serious criminal or motor vehicle offenses to work as drivers. The Public Utilities Commission said it found nearly 60 people were allowed to drive in the state despite having previous felony convictions or major traffic violations including drunken driving.
Uber will conduct its annual background checks through a company called Checkr starting in the next few weeks. It still does not intend to do FBI fingerprint background checks, saying its check of court records and other databases is robust, fair and "stacks up well against the alternatives."
A company, which Uber would not identify, has been hired to continually check arrest data, and that also will begin in a few weeks, Uber said.
