Lyft, Uber to cover fees for drivers sued under Texas law

Associated Press

NEW YORK — Ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft said Friday they volition screen the ineligible fees of immoderate operator who is sued nether the caller instrumentality prohibiting astir abortions successful Texas.

The Texas instrumentality bans abortions erstwhile aesculapian professionals tin observe cardiac activity, usually astir six weeks and often earlier women cognize they’re pregnant. Rather than beryllium enforced by authorities authorities, the instrumentality gives citizens the close to record civilian suits and cod damages against anyone aiding an termination — including those who transport women to clinics.

San Francisco-based Lyft said it has created a money to screen 100% of the ineligible fees for drivers sued nether the instrumentality portion driving connected its platform. Calling the Texas instrumentality “an onslaught connected women’s close to choose,” Lyft besides said it would donate $1 cardinal to Planned Parenthood.

“We privation to beryllium clear: Drivers are ne'er liable for monitoring wherever their riders spell oregon why. Imagine being a operator and not knowing if you are breaking the instrumentality by giving idiosyncratic a ride,” Lyft said successful a statement. “Similarly, riders ne'er person to justify, oregon adjacent share, wherever they are going and why. Imagine being a large pistillate trying to get to a healthcare assignment and not knowing if your operator volition cancel connected you for fearfulness of breaking a law.”

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi responded to Lyft’s connection successful a tweet announcing a akin argumentation for its drivers.

“Drivers shouldn’t beryllium enactment astatine hazard for getting radical wherever they privation to go,” Khosrowshahi wrote. Uber is besides headquartered successful San Francisco.

Earlier this week, the main enforcement of Tinder-owner Match Group said she is mounting up a money to assistance immoderate Texas-based employees who request to question an termination extracurricular the state.

Rival dating app Bumble besides criticized the instrumentality and announced connected Instagram it volition donate funds to six organizations that enactment women’s reproductive rights.

Both dating companies are based successful Texas and led by women.

Match Group said CEO Shar Dubey is creating the money connected her ain and not done the company. She spoke retired against the instrumentality successful a memo to employees Thursday.

“I immigrated to America from India implicit 25 years agone and I person to say, arsenic a Texas resident, I americium shocked that I present unrecorded successful a authorities wherever women’s reproductive laws are much regressive than astir of the world, including India,” Dubey said successful the memo.

The Texas law, which took effect Tuesday aft the Supreme Court denied an exigency entreaty from termination providers, constitutes the biggest curb to the law close to an termination successful decades. It does not marque exceptions for rape oregon incest.