marybel_batjer.jpg

Commission Says Ride-Hailing Secrecy Footnote to Be Addressed Soon

The California Public Utilities Commission says it expects to decide by the end of March whether to revise or throw out an obscure footnote that it has used to justify keeping data about thousands of ride-hailing accidents across the state under wraps. “We anticipate issuing a decision on the matter in the first quarter of 2020,” commission President Marybel Batjer said in a letter dated Jan. 27 to Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez. The agency also “has established a team dedicated to investigating potential TNC misconduct.”

Don't miss out on our newest articles, episodes and events!
Sign up for our newsletter

cpuc1.jpg

Officials Demand Disclosure of Ride-Hail Accident Data

Two state legislators and the chairman of San Francisco’s transportation board say the California Public Utilities Commission should release secret safety records on thousands of ride-hailing accidents. Their comments came in response to a San Francisco Public Press investigation that found the agency has been keeping confidential reports on accidents involving Uber, Lyft and other app-based transportation firms for more than six years.

Don't miss out on our newest articles, episodes and events!
Sign up for our newsletter

noeltock-driving2.jpg

Dumped on the Highway, Passengers Fought Uber Secrecy in Court

After an evening of socializing in Santa Barbara, Margaret Schimmel and her brother, Joseph, hailed an Uber to take them home, but the ride turned into a nightmare, according to a lawsuit they filed against Uber and the driver in San Francisco Superior Court. The case illustrates Uber’s use of secrecy in responding to lawsuits that accuse it and its drivers of injuring people — and the hurdles that accident victims can face in trying to hold the nation’s largest ride-hailing firm accountable.

Don't miss out on our newest articles, episodes and events!
Sign up for our newsletter