National Limousine Association Refutes Uber and Lyft's Claims Concerning Background Checks

NEW YORK - January 22, 2018: Following Uber and Lyft's recent responses to its Public Service Announcement (PSA), "The Signs," the National Limousine Association (NLA) is renewing its call for legislation mandating fingerprint-based background checks and universal drug screening for ride-hailing service drivers.

In the NLA's PSA, ride-hail apps are linked to instances of sexual assault and passengers are encouraged to think twice before utilizing these services. Uber and Lyft have responded to the PSA, claiming that they perform rigorous background checks on all drivers to ensure the safety of passengers. However, as demonstrated recently in Colorado and Massachusetts, the background checks of these companies are ineffectual, and have missed thousands of drivers with criminal backgrounds and resulted in the dismissal 11% of their workforce in some cases.

"Uber and Lyft continue to evade the issues and questions concerning their driver screening procedures," said Gary Buffo, President of the National Limousine Association. Continued Buffo, "A truly comprehensive screening process would include a fingerprint based background check solution, with the ability to find crimes many years back and across state lines. Additionally, in-person interviews as well as drug and alcohol screening are noticeably absent from the ride-hail vetting process, at the same time that our nation is suffering through an opioid crisis. It is time that all transportation providers are held to a much higher standard."

Through its Ride Responsibly initiative, The National Limousine Association has formed multiple partnerships over several years to advocate for stricter driver vetting. The NLA has also tirelessly advocated for the rights of ride-hail drivers, who are currently misclassified as independent contractors rather than as employees.

ABOUT THE NLA:

The National Limousine Association is a non-profit organization responsible for and dedicated to representing the interests of the private driver transportation industry at the global, national, state, and local level. It is the unified voice of this industry – linking transportation industry professionals from owners and operators to suppliers, manufacturers, regional and state limousine associations. With more than 2,000 NLA members, the Association is committed to exceeding expectations with regards to professionalism, transportation efficiency and safe riding.

For additional information on the NLA, please visit www.limo.org.

ABOUT RIDE RESPONSIBLY™:

The Ride Responsibly™ campaign is an unprecedented effort to bridge an industry-wide gap between the rights of passengers and the responsibilities of service providers. The campaign establishes best safety practices for prearranged car services and transportation network companies (TNCs), which include ride-hailing app car services, such as Lyft, Sidecar, Uber and Whisk. This initiative by the National Limousine Association is designed to help address growing public concern and provide a forum for all to voice their views on the ground transportation industry. The program focuses on educating both service providers and the public about regulations, legislation and best practices within the industry. The goal is to empower and inform the public at large, and drivers and operators alike with the necessary tools to Ride Responsibly™.

For additional information on Ride Responsibly™, please visit www.rideresponsibly.org.