Uber sent a letter to lawmakers and an e-mail to drivers and riders in Colorado Wednesday saying if House Bill 1291 becomes law they will be forced to stop operations in the state.
This new bill will require rideshare companies to conduct background checks on drivers every six months and prohibit them from hiring applicants who have been convicted of crimes, including domestic violence, stalking, and harassment.
This new legislation would also require companies to investigate complaints about drivers within 72 hours. If the allegations are found to likely be true, they must deactivate the driver’s account. The companies will also be required to record audio and video throughout each ride.
Uber currently already does background checks on drivers and offers features like Audio and Video Recording, an Emergency Button, PIN verification, and RideCheck.
“Our problem with this bill is not about safety — it’s that it would be impossible for us to comply with,” said Adam Blinick, a spokesperson for Uber. “That could mean tens of thousands of Coloradans lose a valuable earning opportunity, and hundreds of thousands lose access to a safe ride.”
Blinick also raised concerns about legal liability, saying the bill could make the company responsible for even minor driver actions, such as offering a passenger a water bottle.
Uber also argued that the bill targets specific transportation networks while exempting others, such as taxis and shuttles.
Camiel Irving, Uber’s vice president of operations said. “Taxis have no audio/video recording requirements, and yet there is less of a record in terms of who is in the vehicle (both rider and driver), a lack of safety features similar to those available in Uber’s app, and no ability for riders to easily notify loved ones or law enforcement of where they are if anything were to happen while on trip, targeting only certain TNCs is arbitrary given the bill purports to ensure all transportation modes are safe.”
In an email Uber sent to drivers and riders in Colorado the company explained what the bill does and included a link to email lawmakers and a sign up form to testify against the bill in the committee.
