This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at cpr.org.
Democratic lawmakers have unveiled a new proposal aimed at increasing safety for users of ride share apps like Uber and Lyft.
The policy would require companies to conduct more thorough background checks on drivers, track and report violent incidents, and implement methods to try to ensure the person driving is actually who they say they are.
It comes one month after Democratic State Rep. Jenny Willford of Northglenn announced that she is suing Lyft in an effort to improve passenger safety after she said she was raped by a Lyft driver in Feb of 2024.
At Friday’s bill unveiling, Willford said that since publicly sharing her story she’s heard from people across the country with stories “of being drugged, of being kidnapped, of being trafficked, of being sexually assaulted.”
“What I know is that these stories are the tip of the iceberg and they're under-reported. What happened to me should have never happened and I don't want it to happen to anyone else ever,” said Willford.
In a statement, Lyft said, "Safety is fundamental to Lyft, which is why we've worked to design policies and features that help protect both drivers and riders.”
The company said it has a dedicated, around-the-clock safety response team and partners with the security firm ADT to aid in emergencies, as well as also having ongoing background check procedures.
“We are always striving to improve safety and look forward to engaging lawmakers further on this important issue," the statement read.
According to the company, potential drivers are currently screened for criminal offenses and driving incidents by a third party. But the company warned that fingerprint-based background checks — which the bill would require — can be unreliable, incomplete and discriminatory against minority communities.
The proposal would also require a dash camera inside the vehicle or some type of biometric scan or other way to prove the driver’s identity.
The lawmakers backing the bill say for too long companies have put profits over people and evaded responsibility.
“It sucks, in a commuter city, in a commuter state, that we have to put ourselves at risk when we want to do the right thing of, maybe, reducing emissions in our air, maybe because we don't want to drive home drunk,” said Democratic Rep. Lorena Garcia of Adams County.
This story was produced by the Capitol News Alliance, a collaboration between KUNC News, Colorado Public Radio, Rocky Mountain PBS, and The Colorado Sun, and shared with Rocky Mountain Community Radio and other news organizations across the state. Funding for the Alliance is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
