By Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P] / Bay City News
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on Thursday approved a $9 million settlement agreement with San Francisco-based ride-sharing service Uber over allegations of sexual harassment and assault.
The settlement between the CPUC’s Enforcement and Consumer Protection Division, Uber, and the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) follows allegations by the CPUC that Uber failed to respond to its requests for information about sexual assault and harassment involving passengers and drivers.
Uber will pay $9 million to support passenger safety initiatives, including $5 million to the California Victim Compensation Board, which will be used for victims of sexual assault and violence, and $4 million to address physical and sexual violence in the industry.
“We are pleased that the full Commission has adopted this agreement, which was developed in collaboration with CPUC staff and RAINN experts. Most importantly, we can move forward with a solution that preserves survivors’ privacy and agency,” Uber said in a statement.
In a blog post titled “Always keeping you safe” published Thursday morning, the company provided an overview of some recent safety improvements, including the launch of a U.S. pilot program for a ride audio recording option and updated RideCheck technology to detect when a ride takes an unexpected route or when a trip ends unexpectedly early.
If an issue is detected, the passenger and driver can respond that everything is fine or use an emergency button, as well as report an issue to the Uber Safety Incident Report Line.
The audio feature has been used in Latin America and is being tested in three US cities.
Under the settlement, Uber also agreed to pay a $150,000 fine to the state’s general fund and provide information about future incidents of sexual assault and harassment to the CPUC, among other agreed-upon policy changes.
You may be interested in: San Mateo launches program to address mental health emergencies
