BOSTON (WHDH) - Massachusetts lawmakers are looking at new measures to make ridesharing safer for everyone.
In addition to a background check, lawmakers on Beacon Hill are considering a bill that would require Uber and Lyft drivers to be fingerprinted before they are allowed to get behind the wheel.
This measure was considered in 2016 when the state passed its first background check law on rideshare apps but the clause did not make it into the final bill.
These renewed calls for stricter regulations come just one week after police say an Uber driver raped a woman in Boston.
Proponents say it is an added but necessary security measure following a number of sexual assault allegations and attacks by drivers.
“We regulated this industry a few years back and we did the most thorough background checks at the time,” one man said. “We know that fingerprinting is the next highest level we can get. It didn’t make it in a few years back but given what we know and what we have seen over the last few years, I think it is time to revisit it.”
Uber did release a statement in response to the announcement saying in part, “We believe Uber’s screening process is robust. Our third-party provider screens driving and criminal records through local, state and national databases to check for any disqualifying offenses.”
The spokesperson for Uber said that these screens are conducted every six months.
Uber’s biggest competitor, Lyft, also released a statement saying, “Safety is Lyft’s top priority which is why we have worked hard to design policies and features that protect both drivers and passengers.”
The statement went on to say that Massachusetts Lyft drivers must undergo a “rigorous two-tiered background check,” before they are allowed to drive.
Right now, the measure is being developed in a committee.
Ultimately, it would have to be approved by Gov. Charlie Baker.
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