Members Of Congress To Ride-Hail Companies: Use Fingerprint-Based Background Checks

In an open letter to the CEOs of Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar, eight members of Congress demanded that the companies use the “most rigorous and comprehensive screening methods available.”

Stephen Lam / Reuters

Eight members of Congress wrote an open letter to Travis Kalanick, Logan Green, and Sunil Paul demanding that Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar use the "most rigorous and comprehensive screening methods available," which includes fingerprint screenings.

"We appreciate that your companies currently take steps to screen drivers; however we believe that the current screening methods do not utilize all of the available tools to ensure passenger safety," the letter read. "Your companies should implement fingerprint-based background checks right now. This would match screening standards for taxicab services that are already required by many of the largest state regulators across the United States."

The letter, signed by Reps. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, Niki Tsongas of Massachusetts, Minnesota's Keith Ellison, and New York representatives Louise Slaughter and Yvette Clarke among others, cited cases of sexual assault in Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, the District of Columbia, and Chicago.

"Following multiple instances of sexual assault by drivers hired to work in your industry, it is clear that there is an urgent need to improve screening standards currently in place," the letter continued.

BuzzFeed News reached out to Lyft, Sidecar, and Uber for comment and did not hear back at the time of publication. We will update as they respond.