Uber says it will exit Colorado if bill aimed at boosting rideshare safety becomes law
The California-based company says it could not comply with House Bill 1291 and the measure would pose too big a legal risk. It has never pulled out of a state before.
Eric Lubbers/The Colorado Sun
Uber said Wednesday that it will pull out of Colorado if a bill aimed at boosting rideshare safety, including by requiring drivers to make audio and video recordings of trips and prohibiting drivers from offering passengers drinks and snacks, becomes law.
House Bill 1291 was brought by state Rep. Jenny Willford, D-Northglenn, who said she was sexually assaulted last year during a ride hailed through the rideshare service Lyft. Willford and the other lead sponsors of the measure say it’s necessary to protect riders. The legislation has won broad bipartisan support at the Capitol.
“This bill isn’t just about what happened to me — it’s about the thousands of survivors who have endured so much pain and suffering because ride-share companies aren’t doing enough to keep riders and drivers safe,” Willford said in a written statement recently.
But Uber says it couldn’t comply with the measure if it becomes law and that it would pose too big a legal risk to justify operations in Colorado.
Read more from Jesse Paul at ColoradoSun.com.
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