Uber, the leading ride-sharing app, announced that starting today, they will prohibit riders who score below average in passenger rating from using their services. In a stronger commitment to weed out bad passengers and to maintain a safe environment for both drivers and riders, Uber is implementing the policy to prevent passengers from misbehaving.
However, they clarify that before they become strict with their new booting guidelines, they will get tips on how to improve ratings by being polite, not leaving trash in cars, and not asking drivers to violate the speed limit. According to the company, misbehaving passengers will get enough chances before the company decides that they don’t want to serve those passengers anymore.
The new rule is part of Uber’s more simplified behavior guidelines, which came out in 2016.
The company has already started purging misbehaving drivers with varying average rating thresholds in a different city. The company expects that only a few passengers will be affected by the new policy.
US and Canada will be the first countries where the new and stricter policy will be implemented. The riders from these countries will first see a notice of the new system and will be asked to confirm if they were able to understand it.
“By educating customers and partners about the Community Guidelines, asking them to confirm they understand, and holding everyone accountable, we can help ensure Uber is welcoming and safe for all,” Kate Parker, head of safety brand and initiatives, said in a statement.
Previously, Uber was pressured to improve their behavior guidelines and was slammed for their slow response in weeding out drunk drivers.
Meanwhile, Uber’s share prices are down by 7% from their IPO prices. Concerns over their profitability capacity and the questionable policy environment surrounding ride-sharing services have been holding their growth back. Today the market closes with a dip of 2.47% for Uber.
