DailyMail: Ride-hailing app company Uber says it is banning its riders and drivers from carrying guns. Uber Technologies says it is banning firearms of any kind during rides arranged through the Uber platform, and drivers or riders who violate the rule may lose access to the platform. The rules also apply to Uber’s affiliates. The company said on Friday it changed its firearms policy on June 10, before the recent shooting at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, brought renewed attention to gun violence in America.
Uber said it wants to make sure riders and drivers feel safe and comfortable. In a statement, the app company said it made the change after reviewing feedback from both passengers and Uber drivers. Previously it had deferred to local law on the issue.
San Francisco-based Uber lets passengers summon cars through an app in more than 250 cities worldwide, and the privately held company is valued at around $40billion. However it’s faced legal and regulatory challenges as it expands in the United States and abroad. It has also been criticized over the thoroughness of the background checks it does on drivers and other safety issues.
In April, an Uber driver with a concealed-carry permit shot a 22-year-old man who had opened fire on a group of pedestrians in Chicago. Court records say the man was shooting at pedestrians who were walking in front of the Uber driver’s vehicle, and the driver shot the gunman. The driver wasn’t charged, as prosecutors said he acted in defense of himself and others.
Competitor Lyft also has a ‘no weapons’ policy. According to Lyft’s website, if a driver or rider is found to have a weapon in a Lyft vehicle they’ll be barred from the platform regardless of local laws on weapons possession.
Taxi drivers in New York City are not allowed to carry firearms, despite repeated requests from industry groups that they be allowed to do so. Drivers in other cities such as Washington DC are also not allowed to have guns.
Uber does not own the cars that its drivers use and says it does not employ the drivers.nHowever, a California court recently ruled that at least one driver based in the state was an employee rather than an independent contractor.
DCG