Uber has actually partnered with San Francisco on a public education project about rider security.
Uber
In cities around the nation, individuals are impersonating Uber and Lyft motorists and attacking unwary guests. So, San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon is partnering with Uber and the city’s authorities department to alert individuals to get the word out.
Gascon on Tuesday released a public education campaign called “Rideshare with Care” to define what guests need to do prior to entering a cars and truck. He stated riders need to validate the license plate of the Uber or Lyft automobile, ask the motorist for their name, and share the flight place and location with a pal or member of the family.
“Over 170,000 rideshare trips are taken on a typical weekday and mostly the services are safe,” Gascon stated at an interview in San Francisco’s Hall of Justice onTuesday “We also know that when things go wrong, they can go terribly wrong.”
Getting into a cars and truck with a complete stranger would’ve been unprecedented simply 5 years earlier, however it’s ended up being the standard as ride-hailing business like Uber and Lyft have actually acquired appeal. But predators have actually benefited from this scenario. A report revealed on Tuesday in-depth how one female flung herself from a moving automobile in Las Vegas after being abducted by a phony Uber motorist, according to ABC.
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In San Francisco, headlines were made by a man who’s been labeled the “rideshare rapist.” Orlando Vilchez Lazo is accused of raping four women in separate incidents over the past five years. He was arrested in July and pleaded not guilty to all charges.Â
Lazo allegedly picked up his victims late at night from bars and clubs, held them against their will, and then drove them to unknown locations. Lazo was a Lyft driver, but because of ongoing litigation, it’s unclear if he was posing as a driver during these incidents or using the app.
“You see the stories in the news and so do we,” Uber spokesman Andrew Hasbun said. “This is a situation that is totally preventable.”
To make sure riders get in the right car, Hasbun said people should verify not only the license plate number but also the color, make and model of the car. Passengers should also ask drivers for their name before getting in the car and make sure it matches what it says in the app.
“The safety features that are built in to the Uber app don’t work unless you get into the right car,” Hasbun said.
Lyft didn’t attend the press conference on Tuesday, but in an email a company spokeswoman said, “We applaud the district attorney’s efforts to educate the rideshare community about simple steps everyone can take to stay safe.”
First published Sept. 11 at 3:03 p.m. PT.
Update at 4:44 p.m. PT:Â Added comment from Lyft.
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