Worcester Red Cab Demands Uber Be Shut Down for Illegal Activity

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Friday, August 22, 2014

Nicholas Handy, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

Citing a wealth of illegal activities, neglecting of responsibilities, and exploiting of loopholes, Worcester Red Cab and other taxi groups throughout the state are demanding for Uber to be shut down and leave Massachusetts.

Maggie Donovan, the Vice President of Worcester Red Cab, says that companies like Uber are not only trying to destroy the traditional taxi and transportation infrastructure, but also putting anyone who gets into an Uber car into danger.

“This is not a transportation company this is an app company,” said Donovan. “Uber is a company that breaks every rule within the transportation system. I want them gone; this is a company that should not exist.”

Contrasting a traditional taxi service, Uber and other ride-sharing companies use phone apps as a primary method of communication between their drivers and customers. Rather than hiring a fleet of drivers, Uber contracts drivers who use their own vehicles rather than taxi cabs. Traditional taxi services are upset because companies like Uber are not required by law to go through many of the rules and regualtions required at the local, state, and national level.

Not a Safe Company

Throughout Uber’s existence, there have been a few controversial instances, prompting Donovan and others to be opposed to the company. 

On February 14, 2014, the Chicago Tribune reported that Uber wasn’t performing criminal background checks on all of their drivers, allowing thousands of drivers – not knowing where they had been convicted felons – to transport passengers throughout the city. While Uber had apologized, it was found that they had missed the felony conviction of one of their drivers.

Additionally, Uber was sued in San Francisco in January of 2014 when a driver hit and killed a six-year-old girl in between picking up passengers. Uber seemingly shrugged off the lawsuit by saying that their driver had not been providing Uber services at the time of the accident.

“Because they are an app company, they aren’t required to be regulated in the same way that traditional taxi companies are,” said Donovan. “This is a company that wants to destroy the taxi industry and ultimately doesn’t care about the customers that they are providing services to. I’m not a bank competing with a bank, I’m a bank competing with a bank robber.”

Uber Responds

According to Uber spokesperson Taylor Bennett, regardless of opposition from traditional taxi services, Massachusetts riders and drivers love Uber.

Bennett says that many have been extraordinarily vocal in their support for the greater economic opportunity and the improved transportation options that Uber brings to the state. He also refutes many of the claims raised by Donovan. 

While many taxi companies have shown opposition and tried to exploit various problems with Uber, Bennett says that in some cases, the ride-sharing company has stronger regulations than traditional taxis, including $1 million of coverage for driver liability while passengers are being transported.

“All drivers seeking to use Uber’s software are required to pass rigorous, industry-leading background checks, including multi-state, county, and federal checks,” said Bennett. “By comparison, 10% of licensed Boston taxi drivers who have taken Uber’s background checks have failed, despite passing annual background checks by the City of Boston.”

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