With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
City of LA wants fingerprinting for Uber and Lyft drivers
Taxi supporters in yellow and Uber and Lyft supporters in blue and pink pack the chambers of Los Angeles City Council during last year's vote on allowing ride-hailing services at LAX.
(
Meghan McCarty/KPCC
)
Listen
0:49
City of LA wants fingerprinting for Uber and Lyft drivers
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and several City Council members want to require Uber and Lyft to fingerprint their drivers just as taxi companies do, they announced Thursday.
Authority to do that, however, is held by the California Public Utilities Commission, which regulates the ride-hailing services. Up to now, the PUC hasn’t required fingerprinting with checks against the national FBI criminal database.
Uber and Lyft must conduct background checks, but they do them based on Social Security numbers, which can be falsified, rather than fingerprints.
Several ride-hailing companies voluntarily fingerprint their drivers – the ones that transport children without their parents. It’s a growing market, with several companies jumping in: Shuddle and KangaDo in Northern California and HopSkipDrive in Los Angeles and Orange counties.
Sponsored message
"We think of ourselves really as caregivers on wheels," said Joanna McFarland, co-founder of HopSkipDrive.
While all such businesses voluntarily fingerprint drivers, McFarland would like to see the practice become a legal requirement for companies that transport children.
"We welcome a level playing field. We were the first rideshare company to fingerprint all of our drivers. Safety is really the core of what we do," she said.
Next month, the California Public Utilities Commission takes up a recommendation to require fingerprinting for companies providing rides to children who aren't with adults.
The issue of fingerprinting drivers of Uber and Lyft arose last year, when the Los Angeles City Council attempted to exert authority over the ride-hailing services in reviewing a city commission's decision to allow the companies to pick up passengers at LAX.
Some councilmembers said ride-hailing drivers should be fingerprinted in the same way taxi drivers are, but that requirement was not imposed. The city regulates taxi companies, but not services like Uber and Lyft.
Uber is fighting a lawsuit filed by the San Francisco and Los Angeles district attorneys alleging the company produces misleading advertising about its safety screening.
Sponsored message
The debate was renewed last month when Jason Dalton, an Uber driver, allegedly killed six people in a shooting rampage in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
