NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--It is the belief of the National Limousine Association that the staffing and cultural turbulence occurring at Uber, culminating with CEO Travis Kalanick’s announced leave of absence, offer an opportunity to ignite new conversations about workers’ rights, safety and privacy standards. Over the past several months, a confluence of negative events clearly indicate that the systemic issues that plague the organization at the driver level, are also prevalent within the corporate rungs. It is the National Limousine Association’s hope, that through improved leadership, all ride-haling applications (e.g. Lyft, Uber) will take steps to establish the company as an upstanding member of the ground transportation community, adhering to the standards and regulations by which the rest of the industry steadfastly abides.
“For the past several years, through our Ride Responsibly initiative, as well as through legislative means, we have sought to inform the American people about the culture of circumvention that exists at ride-hailing companies such as Uber,” said Gary Buffo, President of the NLA. “Amidst issues ranging from passenger safety to driver’s benefits & rights, Uber has repeatedly dodged regulations in an effort to maximize profit. As president of the nation’s largest ground transportation trade organization, I implore Uber’s board to appoint responsible leadership.”
“Since its inception, numerous Uber passengers have been injured or killed due to disregard at the corporate level. Cost and corner-cutting initiatives coupled with a complete disregard for public safety has led to a flawed background check system placing our loved ones in the car with people unfit to drive professionally,” said NLA co-founder Scott Solombrino. “Even worse, for the countless innocent drivers who had been lured in by deceptive compensation claims, Uber has not had the decency to afford them benefits such as healthcare, workers’ compensation or paid leave as they are promised by the Fair Labor Standards Act. I can only hope that Uber’s new leadership will take the responsible path when it comes to the treatment of our citizens.”
ABOUT THE NLA:
The National Limousine Association is a non-profit organization responsible for and dedicated to representing the interests of the private driver transportation industry at the global, national, state, and local level. It is the unified voice of this industry – linking transportation industry professionals from owners and operators to suppliers, manufacturers, regional and state limousine associations. With more than 2,000 NLA members, the Association is committed to exceeding expectations with regards to professionalism, transportation efficiency and safe riding.
For additional information on the NLA, please visit www.limo.org.
ABOUT RIDE RESPONSIBLY:
The Ride Responsibly campaign is an unprecedented effort to bridge an industry-wide gap between the rights of passengers and the responsibilities of service providers. The campaign establishes best safety practices for prearranged car services and transportation network companies (TNCs), which include ride-hailing app car services, such as Lyft, Sidecar, Uber and Whisk. This initiative by the National Limousine Association is designed to help address growing public concern and provide a forum for all to voice their views on the ground transportation industry. The program focuses on educating both service providers and the public about regulations, legislation and best practices within the industry. The goal is to empower and inform the public at large, and drivers and operators alike with the necessary tools to Ride Responsibly.
For additional information on Ride Responsibly™, please visit www.rideresponsibly.org.
