Business

Boston Labor Group Rallies Against Uber And Lyft

Daily Caller News Foundation logo
Font Size:

A Boston labor union rallied Monday against ride share services such as Uber and Lyft, calling them unsafe.

“At 12:00 Noon, the Boston Taxi Drivers Association (BTDA) will hold a rally on City Hall Plaza to demand unl-icensed Uber, Lyft and other illegal vehicles for hire be taken off the streets,” the United Steelworkers said in a press release.

The BTDA is a labor organization that was formed in 2007 by the United Steelworkers to promote the interest of taxi drivers in the area.

The press release went on to say, “Boston taxi drivers will be joined in protest against Uber and Lyft as unregulated personal vehicles for public transit by labor and community leaders. Participants will include taxi driver organizations from New York City and Philadelphia. Demonstrators will have placards, display banners, and their city-marked cabs.”

Donna Blythe-Shaw, a spokeswoman for BTDA and USW, argued that a lack of regulation makes these services unsafe.

There is no vetting, no safety regulations,” Blythe-Shaw told The Daily Caller News Foundation. “There is a driver we know nothing about except that they are convenient.”

Looking back, Blythe-Shaw explained that at one time “there were no regulations for hired vehicles” which resulted in unsafe conditions for both drivers and customers and so people began to demand regulations.

Additionally, Blythe-Shaw is concerned taxi drivers are being “pushed out of work by companies defying laws” such as Uber and Lyft.

Uber previously told TheDCNF, “Taxi companies should spend their time improving customer service and investing in a better, safer experience, rather than complaining about competition and choice.”

Uber argued, “The fact remains, our best-in-class insurance, extensive background checks, and unprecedented accountability and transparency built into the app make Uber the safest, most reliable ride on the road.”

Follow Connor on Twitter

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For  licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

Tags : lyft uber
Connor D. Wolf