NewsWatch
Keeping a critical eye on Uber,
Lyft, Sidecar, et al
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Welcome to the latest edition of AFT NewsWatch, a weekly service of Advocates for Fairness in Transportation, an ad hoc group of regulated transportation service companies dedicated to informing and educating the public on threats to public safety from new so-called ride-sharing or ride-booking services such as Uber, Lyft and Sidecar. Visit the Archive to read previous editions.
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Uber driver suspended after harrowing joyride through closed tunnel
A crazed Uber driver took two passengers on a joyride through a closed section of the Lincoln Tunnel, flying through red lights before police finally stopped him, cops say. The driver, Forhad Hussain, 29, was driving customer Jeff Holmes and a friend from Manhattan to New Jersey at when he suddenly blew through a flashing sign and into a part of the Lincoln Tunnel that was closed for maintenance.
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Uber is on a collision course with New York City's mayor again
Later this month, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is expected to unveil a hotly anticipated report he commissioned about the for-hire vehicle industry - but mostly about Uber, which has been a thorn in his side for the last year. The report is important for many reasons, most notably because de Blasio's position on how best to regulate the fast-growing service could have a profound impact on how Uber operates in its largest and most lucrative market in the world.
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Uber's newest tussle: Trying to revive 11 rejected patents
Uber hates it when angry taxi drivers, tradition-bound regulators - or anyone, really - tries to slow down the global spread of its wildly popular ride-sharing services. Apparently that feisty spirit extends even to the San Francisco company's dealings with the U.S. Patent office, which has rejected at least 11 Uber patent applications. Other companies might concede defeat, abandoning efforts to establish those patents. Not Uber.
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Uber turns to familiar defense in rape suit
In a suit brought by two women who allege they were sexually assaulted by Uber Technologies Inc. drivers, the company's lawyers are raising a familiar defense. In court papers, Uber claims that it shouldn't be held liable for the drivers' actions because "they were not employees of Uber," echoing previous defenses the company has put forward in other suits.
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U.S. judge certifies class action against Uber over gratuities
A lawsuit against Uber can proceed as a class action over allegations that the ride service misled customers about how it shares gratuities with drivers, a federal judge ruled. An Uber customer sued the company last year, saying an advertised 20 percent gratuity was "false, misleading, and likely to deceive members of the public" because Uber keeps a substantial portion of the money.
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Gay passenger sues Uber on civil rights claims
Uber Technologies Inc. faces a new lawsuit, this one by a gay passenger claiming a driver kicked him out of a car for sharing a kiss with his date. The civil rights lawsuit is the latest legal challenge seeking to hold the ride-hailing company responsible for the actions of drivers. The suit on behalf of Roman Scanlon says he summoned an Uber ride in March after dinner in West Hollywood.
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Uber driver accused of breaking into customer's Elsmere home
You can imagine the surprise on Jennifer Maxam's face when she reviewed her in-home video surveillance system after a recent burglary. She recognized the suspect in a surprise starring role. She told Elsmere police it was her Uber driver from a few nights earlier. Police arrested Raymond Southerland, of Burlington, charging him with the Nov. 21 break-in and theft from Maxam's apartment at a new development called The Overlook.
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Florida Insurance Commissioner cites insurance gaps for Uber, warns customers
In a wide ranging interview, Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty discussed insurance related to "transportation network companies" (TNCs) such as Uber and Lyft. During the interview, he confirmed that gaps in insurance coverage for companies such as Uber exist and consumers should beware.
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Uber seems to be getting its butt kicked In China
Uber and its Chinese rival Didi Kuaidi are locked in a billion-dollar battle to control the world's largest ride-hailing market. And Uber's losing. Didi Kuaidi claims that it is the "market leader" in all of the 259 cities where it provides private-car hailing, including a 90% share of Beijing, home of 21 million people, where the company fields over 1 million daily ride requests.
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Uber CEO says fingerprint-based background checks can be 'discriminatory'
Checking criminal backgrounds by using fingerprint records could be "discriminatory," Uber CEO Travis Kalanick said, because local police records might leave out whether someone who was arrested for a crime was ultimately convicted or not. Kalanick's comments come as states consider legislation that could force Uber and similar ride-hailing services to fingerprint their drivers.
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Uber to Portland auditor: We're not giving you Mark Wiener's contract
Uber responded to a demand by the city of Portland's auditor that the ride-hailing giant turn over its contract with lobbyist Mark Wiener, sending a five-page letter that can be summed up in one word: No. But Uber did acknowledge violating Portland's lobbying regulations by not reporting until April 10 that Wiener had acted on behalf of Uber-almost three months after accurate lobbying statements for 2014 were due. The company also admitted failing to report the activity of two other lobbyists.
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| | Four things about Uber you wish you never knew |
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