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What kind of background checks do Uber drivers have to undergo?
Ride sharing company Uber meets with civic politicians in Burnaby today after the city asked the company to outline how it would potentially do business here.
One thing that will no doubt be discussed is passenger security, after a number of high-profile incidents in the US involving Uber drivers.
Seattle’s KING 5 News took an extensive look at the vetting process for a potential driver, which the company says ensures passengers of a safe ride.
“If there’s a history of violent crime, DUI, drug offences or any number of drug infractions, you’re out,” says reporter Michael Konopasek.
The process takes about a week, during which time a driver’s vehicle must pass inspection from a licenced mechanic. The company also checks a person’s records on the county, state and federal levels.
Even once they get through that, a number of applicants are still turned away.
“We found that we deny actually about eight to 10 per cent of the drivers that actually have gone through the city background check process,” Uber‘s Seattle general manager Brooke Steger tells KING 5 News.
Even after they are accepted, Uber drivers undergo yearly reviews.
The company guarantees safety and Steger says once they’re hired, it is easy to keep track of a driver’s conduct. “From the rider side, every trip is rated and that is feedback we look at every day.”
Seattle has about 4,000 registered UBER drivers.
The Big Apple is also being inundated with them; New York City now has more cars registered with the ride-sharing program than the iconic yellow taxis.
The Taxi and Limousine Commission says the city’s more than 14,000 Uber vehicles now outnumber cabs by about 500.
But experts say the numbers don’t tell the whole story because cabbies still move a lot more people overall.
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