Uber is Back in San Antonio
On December 2016, City Council approved Ride Sharing companies like Uber and Lyft to continue operating in San Antonio. SAPD also plans to continue their voluntary background check program for drivers working for this ride sharing companies.
Uber and Lyft conduct third-party background checks on all their drivers before employment, but SAPD offers a 10-fingerprint background check as an extra precautionary level of verification. According to a story covered by News 4, 251 drivers have completed SAPD’s background check, with no one ever being denied. Sounds like good news right? That is until you find out that Uber, alone, announced last year that it planned to add 10,000 new drivers throughout 2016.
Uber T Certified Drivers
Uber drivers that have taken the voluntary SAPD background check will have a T-number on their profile when you request a driver. You can opt for cancelling a ride from any driver who does not have a T-number but the problem is that they are still very rare in San Antonio. The majority of drivers have not been screened through SAPD’s background check, because it is not mandatory.
The employers for taxi, bus, and limo drivers require them to do a fingerprint background check. Uber and Lyft do not. Some of the dangers of third-party background checks done by Uber and Lyft are that they ignore aliases and crimes committed over 7 years ago. More importantly, there has been numerous reports of crimes being committed by ride sharing drivers since the introduction of Uber and Lyft. An example is the Houston Uber driver that was a convicted felon. Uber’s background check missed that conviction and news of his criminal background only surfaced after the driver had been accused of sexually assaulting a recent passenger.
Thankfully for San Antonio, City Council has plans to encourage more drivers to go through SAPD check by offering incentives like pre-paid gas cards. However, mandatory background checks is what made Uber leave San Antonio in 2015. For your use we have found a website called Who’s Driving You that offers the latest news on ride sharing companies. That includes an up to date list of every incident, accident, lawsuit and death involving an ride sharing drivers.
Jeff is Here 4 You
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in an accident Jeff is here for you. Davis Law Firm is here 24/7 to listen to your case. Our team of legal representatives offer free consultation at no cost to you. Jeff Davis is the San Antonio accident lawyer there is here for you to fight for what you deserve! Contact us today!