Uber is going to start deactivating riders with low ratings, according to a report. The ridesharing company started the new initiative on Wednesday (May 29) in the U.S. and Canada.
If a person’s ratings fall below a certain average (which will vary from city to city), the rider will face the possible consequence of deactivation.
“Respect is a two-way street, and so is accountability,” Uber Head of Safety Brand and Initiatives Kate Parker said in a blog post. “Drivers have long been required to meet a minimum rating threshold, which can vary city to city. While we expect only a small number of riders to ultimately be impacted by ratings-based deactivations, it’s the right thing to do.”
Drivers can be deactivated if their ratings fall below 4.6, but that was never the case for riders. Uber told the news outlet that “any rider at risk of losing access will receive several notifications and opportunities to improve his or her rating.” Uber will also send riders helpful tips that will encourage politeness and remind them to leave a car as clean as when they found it.
The move is part of Uber’s new community guidelines, which the company will post in the app for everyone to see.
In other Uber news, Ryan Graves, the company’s first chief executive and employee, resigned from the board two weeks after the ride-hailing company went public. According to the Financial Times, Graves told Uber he was leaving the board effective May 27. The news comes as Uber’s shares have suffered since its recent IPO. Shares ended the trading session mid-May at $41.51, under the IPO price of $45 per share. Graves has not been an employee since 2017, but had stayed on the board. According to the report, he has a 1.9 percent stake in the company, which is worth $1.3 billion.
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