In November 2019, Uber was once again in the news for systemic issues that put both its passengers and its drivers at risk. The City of London denied an extension to its taxi operating license under its “fit and proper” standard, even while acknowledging that Uber had made some positive changes after its license was revoked in 2017. One issue was the ease with which Uber drivers can allow unauthorized, even unlicensed drivers to use their accounts, known as “account spoofing.” The London transport authority identified at least 14,000 “spoofed” trips involving at least 43 drivers. “This means all [of those] journeys were uninsured” and that some drivers hadn’t gone through a criminal-background check or proven their driving skills. Uber is being allowed to continue operating during the eightmonth appeal process. 

Questions 

1. Do you use ride-hailing apps? If so, what precautions have you used to reduce the risks of riding with dangerous drivers (including the possibility of personal attack)? 

2. Do you know any ride-share drivers? What are their on-the-job safety concerns?