Over 8,000 Uber And Lyft Drivers Pulled Off Massachusetts Streets After Failing Background Checks

Over 8,000 residents in Massachusetts driving with ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft have been pulled off the road after failing to pass state background checks.

According to the Boston Globe, the new background checks rejected 8,206 drivers of the almost 71,000 who had already passed background checks by the companies. Hundreds of them failed due to having previously committed serious crimes including violent and sexual offenses. Additionally, 51 applications from sex offenders were turned away and hundreds who had numerous driving-related offenses including drunken and reckless driving.

The vast majority were rejected due to suspended licenses or if a driver hadn’t been driving long enough to work for ride-hailing companies.

In January, the state of Massachusetts began running background checks on all those applying for ride-hailing positions in addition to the company-run checks. Consequently, a number of drivers who passed internal checks from Lyft and Uber failed those from the state government.

In a statement, Lyft said “Under Massachusetts law, Lyft’s commercial background check provider, like all consumer reporting agencies, is legally prevented from looking back further than seven years into driver applicants’ histories.

“The state does not face the same limitation, which likely explains why a small percentage of our drivers failed the state’s background check while passing ours.”

Uber hit back at the state and in a press release said “Thousands of people in Massachusetts have lost access to economic opportunities as a result of a screening that includes an unfair and unjust indefinite look-back period.

“We have an opportunity to repair the current system in the rules process so that people who deserve to work are not denied the opportunity.”