Ride-sharing companies say their background checks are good enough

Georgia House Bill 225 — nicknamed the “Uber bill” — is likely to be signed into law early in May. Under the bill, ride-sharing companies must prove they pay taxes and have $1 million in liability insurance, and drivers must undergo criminal background checks. Despite the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s statement that “[fingerprinting is] the best and most reliable way to determine if someone has a criminal history,” there is a loophole in the bill, so that drivers may have criminal records checked by private agencies that don’t require fingerprinting. “You’d have to be crazy to employ people who haven’t been fingerprinted, because you’d only be one disaster away from being sued,” said Georgia Rep. Alan Powell, who sponsored the Uber bill. He had to compromise on the fingerprinting issue in order for the bill to pass. Cab companies and other professional drivers in the state have also filed lawsuits against some of the ride-sharing companies due to policies that allow drivers to skimp on regulations that taxi and limo drivers are required to comply with in order to keep passengers safe. Ride-sharing companies — particularly Uber — remain under fire for many other reasons, including reports of assault, accidents while on the job, and ignoring city and state regulating laws.]]>