Protesting fingerprint checks, Uber and Lyft end rides in Austin

2016-05-11T13:01:00-04:00

The decision to leave an energetic city known for its young, well-educated population offered a stark illustration of how strenuously the companies oppose new rules that would require them to perform fingerprint background checks on drivers. Ending the service also meant that about 10,000 drivers would be out of work, Taylor Patterson, an Uber spokeswoman, said. “Folks are devastated,” she said. “People are saying, ‘I don’t know how I’m going to pay my rent.’”

In cities like Austin—with no comprehensive rail service, a dominant car culture and a large youthful population—ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft are omnipresent. Lyft sponsored the city's huge annual SXSW festival in 2016, and as the city has been growing "faster than any other metropolitan area in the country," public transportation for tourists and commuters alike is strained.

Other ridesharing services besides Uber and Lyft will continue operations in the city, while Lyft and Uber consider how to continue operating in other cities (like New York and Houston) that also require drivers undergo fingerprint background checks.

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Protesting fingerprint checks, Uber and Lyft end rides in Austin