The popular ride-hailing service Uber is coming under fire as Madison police look for a driver — or drivers — who allegedly assaulted two different women over the weekend.
Madison Mayor Paul Soglin said police will get a search warrant to try and find out the driver’s name. Soglin — who favors local regulation of companies like Uber and Lyft — also noted that police wouldn’t have to do that if ridesharing services adhered to municipal rules that apply to taxicabs.
“We would know the vehicle. We would know the home address of the driver. We would have all that information. And now the case is getting colder,” said Soglin.
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Uber, meanwhile, says the driver has been fired.
Soglin said the city of Madison attorney is exploring other ways to enforce local ordinances even as a pending bill would require statewide regulation of ride-hailing services. The bill now on Gov. Scott Walker’s desk requires companies to do background checks on drivers. That information isn’t shared with local police.
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