Lyft protests NYC Council bill protecting drivers, citing public safety concerns

"Jerry Golden, chief policy officer at Lyft, sent a scathing letter to city lawmakers on Sept. 22, expressing the company's serious concerns about Intro. 276, a bill that would prohibit rideshare bigwigs from deactivating essentially firing for-hire drivers without just cause. Golden charged that the bill, as it is, undermines public safety and puts New Yorkers at risk, especially since drivers know personal information about passengers, including pick-up and drop-off points that are often places of residence or work."

"He added that the bill's 14-day notice period would prevent rideshare platforms from promptly removing drivers who have been reported as engaging in unsafe conduct, which could be anything ranging from reckless driving to harassment. For example, he noted in the letter, drivers reported for repeated unsafe driving, discrimination, or sexual harassment could be permitted to continue picking up passengers for over two weeks after their alleged offense, placing additional riders in harm's way."

"Currently, Lyft deactivates an account once a rider flags a driver. Deactivations can also be generated by in-app driver data. For certain issues that could result in a deactivation, like expired documents, a driver can resolve the matter directly in the app by uploading updated documentation. In other cases, a temporary account hold may occur while an investigation is pending, per the company's deactivation process. Accounts stay deactivated while investigations play out."

Lyft opposes Intro. 276, arguing the measure would bar deactivations of for-hire drivers without just cause and thereby weaken public safety. The company warns that drivers often know passenger personal details, including pickup and drop-off locations tied to residences and workplaces. Lyft objects to the bill's 14-day notice requirement, saying it would delay removal of drivers reported for reckless driving, discrimination, or sexual harassment and allow alleged offenders to continue picking up riders. Lyft's current process deactivates accounts flagged by riders, uses in-app data, allows document updates, and places temporary holds during investigations.

Read at www.amny.com