If you drive for Uber, Lyft, or another rideshare service in Colorado, you might soon get a chance to share your experiences and suggestions for improving safety. The Colorado Public Utilities Commission is asking the public to provide input in a new survey aimed at identifying ways to make rideshare trips safer for both drivers and passengers.
The survey comes after a state bill earlier this year sought to add stricter safety requirements for rideshares. Governor Jared Polis vetoed House Bill 25-1291 in May, citing concerns that the proposed rules could impose unworkable regulations and potentially threaten rideshare operations in the state.
“It had bipartisan support and pretty impressive margins coming out of the legislature,” said State Representative Jenny Willford. “It was increased background checks, the option to be able to say that you wanted audio and video recording while you were in the vehicle, and a requirement that there not be food or beverage offered to a rider or to a driver.”
Willford shared her personal experience as part of her push for the legislation. “I was sexually assaulted by a Lyft driver in front of my home last February,” she said. “I’m starting to have more good days than bad days, which is great. What’s been really nice is this summer, I’ve been able to spend a lot of time with my kids and with my husband and traveling, and just trying to get to know the person that I am on the other side of the sexual assault.”
The Survey and Its Purpose
The survey is intended to collect data on what works and what doesn’t in Colorado’s rideshare industry, from driver and rider perspectives. Willford emphasized that most people don’t know much about how the Public Utilities Commission regulates rideshares.
“I think it’s probably safe to assume that nobody knows what the Public Utilities Commission is, and if they do know, they probably assume that the PUC is connected to Xcel Energy,” Willford said. “The Public Utilities Commission oversees a lot of different industries beyond just utilities. They also oversee taxis as well as Transportation Network Companies like Uber and Lyft. What they have done is put together a survey where members of the public can engage, and they can share their experiences of using rideshare — what went well and what went wrong, and if it went wrong, what? What in particular do they think could have improved their experience or kept them safer?”
Colorado was the first state to implement local regulations for rideshares in 2014, and the PUC now wants feedback to see if updated approaches are needed as the industry evolves. The survey covers five licensed Transportation Network Companies in Colorado, including Uber, Lyft, HopSkipDrive, River North Transit, and Drivers Cooperative, representing more than 35,000 drivers who completed roughly 35 million rides in 2024.
Driver Perspectives
Some drivers, like Lyft driver David Krouse in Denver, are cautious about new regulations. “I can guarantee a lot of the people I drive probably don’t want their video out there,” Krouse said. “You know, I not only drive people from the club, I drive people from hospitals. I drive people to hospitals. I drive people to funerals. I mean, I drive people from a lot of very intimate and delicate settings.”
Krouse still plans to participate in the survey. “I’m going to fill it out, but yeah, I don’t think it’s a good-faith survey. It sounds to me, the way they’ve worded it, that they’ve already come to pre-determined conclusions. If it’s a criminal matter, it’s a criminal matter. You cannot have a private third party behaving as a quasi-police. That doesn’t work.”
The data collected will be anonymized and summarized for both public and legislative review. Willford hopes the survey results will guide future legislation to improve rideshare safety in Colorado.
What’s Next
A virtual discussion is planned for October 27 for drivers, riders, and members of the public to weigh in on rules and safety issues, including the problem of imposter drivers. Registration is open online for those who want to join.
“I know that there’s a problem,” Willford said. “What I hope is that the data will help us understand that, beyond sexual assault, what are some of the other problems? And what ideas do Coloradans have that can, frankly, keep us all safer? I’ve already seen from Uber, from Lyft, as well as from the governor’s office, what can happen. And I already know that — I’ve already seen the worst. So, ready to double down and get back to work.”
Governor Polis praised the survey effort. “I requested that the PUC do more to ensure ride shares are safe, and I’m thrilled to see the PUC moving forward by gathering input from Coloradans about how to better ensure safety in the rideshares that so many people use. This is what I called for earlier this year, and I look forward to hearing the feedback they gather for how to make Coloradans safer.”
Source: Denver7
Customer Reviews
Thanks for submitting your comment!