AP Wire

Council adopts safety regs for Uber

by The Associated Press

The Downtown Lafayette Restaurant & Bar Association will test run an Uber pick-up station at the corner of W. Congress and Jefferson streets soon.

LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) — Drivers with Uber and similar ride-hailing services in Lafayette are now subject to safety requirements similar to those of taxicab drivers.

Multiple media outlets report that the Lafayette City-Parish Council voted on Tuesday to require the services to inspect vehicles, set up a system to handle customer complaints and check criminal background, driving record and sex offender registry on drivers every six months.

The requirements are similar to what's already in place for taxicab companies, but in most cases the ride-hailing companies are tasked with policing their own drivers while the city-parish government oversees background checks and vehicle inspections for taxi operations.

Uber, a popular taxi-like service that connects riders with contract drivers through a smartphone app, launched in Lafayette in January.