Uber, the US HQ-ed ride-hailing app, previously had a policy which permitted people, riders and drivers alike, to carry weapons if they had the proper licenses or permits. However, the company today announced that it is changing its previous policy and banning any sorts of firearms.
And yes, that precisely translates into the fact, thaT if you want an Uber ride, you’ll have to leave your weapons in your closet. And if you bring them on-board accidentally (or intentionally), you may lose access to the platform.
Uber says that this change in its policy was made on June 10 to make sure riders and drivers feel comfortable. This apparently, was done after reviewing feedback given by the drivers and passengers of Uber vehicles. The issue was previously left to the local law, but the company seems to overrule this for the sake of safety.
But as has been the case with most of Uber’s rapidly announced “safety measure”, this too comes on the back of several life-threatening incidents. In April, one of Uber’s drivers with a permit shot a 22 year old man who had opened fired on pedestrians in Chicago. The driver wasn’t charged as witnesses claimed that he acted in defense. Speculators believe that Uber has acted on this new policy due to this incident.
Meanwhile, Uber’s US competitor Lyft also has a ‘no weapons’ policy. According to Lyft’s website, if a driver or rider is found to have a weapon in a Lyft vehicle they’ll be barred from the platform regardless of local laws on weapons possession.
Above all though, it’ll be interesting to see what reactions Uber sees for its recent policy change in India.
