Between Public and Private Mobility: Examining the Rise of Technology-Enabled Transportation Services (2016) / Chapter Skim
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6 Personal Security and Public Safety
6 Personal Security and Public Safety
Pages 98-113
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From page 98... ...
Security and safety issues have not arisen for other mobility services to the same degree, except for debate over helmet requirements in bikesharing programs, which the chapter does address. Personal Security Driver Security Driving other people for money has historically been a dangerous job; drivers are sometimes an easy target for the criminally minded Personal Security and Public Safety6
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From page 99... ...
In 2012, for example, there were 28 murders of taxi and chauffeur drivers compared with none of intercity and transit bus drivers (U.S.
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From page 100... ...
Many critics of app-based ridesharing have raised concerns about the skill and potential criminality of TNC drivers. Some critics also claim that the background checks used to ferret out unsavory drivers are generally more extensive, and effective, for taxi drivers than for TNC drivers, while others counter that less extensive vetting is needed for the latter because passengers retain an electronic record of each trip and driver, including his or her photo.
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From page 101... ...
In the latter case, the background checks are subject to potential errors resulting from variance in the spelling of names, inclusion of middle names or initials, and so forth. In addition to state criminal record checks, local and state governments have increasingly checked the FBI criminal record database, which goes back to 1924, and also performed interstate checks to pick up criminal records in neighboring states, a process that can take up to 16 weeks (Lafrance and Eveleth 2015)
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From page 102... ...
Currently, jurisdictions that have legislation specific to TNCs require that each TNC conduct a background check on each potential driver before accepting that driver on its service. Where regulation applies, the state requires completion of a criminal background check that includes a review of the national sex offender database, based on applicant name and social security number.
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From page 103... ...
. In addition to background checks, neither Uber nor Lyft allows drivers to carry weapons in the vehicle.
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From page 104... ...
Current practice, which strikes many as reasonable and prudent, is not evidence of best possible practice. Public Safety Vehicle Safety Inspections In addition to driver safety records, which would be uncovered as part of the background checks described above, public regulators regularly impose vehicle safety requirements on taxis and limousines, while TNCs conduct safety checks on drivers' vehicles before approving them for service.
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From page 105... ...
Flywheel, an app dedicated to taxi drivers, also requires very quick responses from a driver; when a customer requests a taxi, the message is sent to several nearby taxis, and the first driver to accept the request gets the fare (Richtel 2014)
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From page 106... ...
While these results are promising, they are far from conclusive. The studies conducted to date measured drunk driving in only a few cities, and many factors affect drunk driving, including socioeconomic conditions, population changes, enforcement, and cul3 Conceivably the driver is not moving when he or she is pinged, since TNC drivers cannot pick up street hails.
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From page 107... ...
In New York, for example, the state's seatbelt law does not apply to taxis and livery vehicles (Hu 2015) , and in a rider survey conducted by the city's Taxi and Limousine Commission, only 38 percent of passengers reported regularly wearing seatbelts (NYC TLC 2014)
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From page 108... ...
Appropriately, public entities -- local authorities and municipal, regional, and state governments -- are implementing public safety regulations for TNCs and other shared mobility services. Much has been made of the inconsistencies between the background checks applied to taxi and TNC drivers and of different vehicle inspection requirements for the two types of services.
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From page 109... ...
Research on the efficacy and relative costs of the different background check and vehicle inspection requirements would be informative for policy makers. Other public safety issues are worthy of deeper investigation as well.
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From page 110... ...
2015. One Standard for All: Criminal Background Checks for Taxicab, For-Hire, and Transportation Network Company (TNC)
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From page 111... ...
2014. Cab Driver Sexually Assaults Sacred Heart University Student.
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From page 112... ...
2013. Accurate FBI Background Checks for Employment.
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From page 113... ...
2014. Uber Background Checks.
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