Uber to weed out low-rated riders for bad behaviour

Uber Technologies Inc, ride-sharing company, has said riders in the US and Canada with low ratings may risk losing their right to Uber service.

Uber has updated its safety policy with "ratings-based rider deactivation" rules that require riders to show the same good behaviour they expect from drivers. "Respect is a two-way street, and so is accountability," Uber said in a statement.

The new rule took effect immediately starting Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Drivers have long been expected to meet a minimum rating threshold, which can vary from city to city. While we expect only a small number of riders to ultimately be impacted by ratings-based deactivation, it's the right thing to do," it said.

Riders may lose access to Uber if they acquire a significantly below average rating, said the ride-hailing company, without sharing what the low-rating threshold would be.

Uber encourages low-rated riders to improve their ratings by showing politeness and refraining from leaving trash in the vehicle and asking drivers to exceed the speed limit.

Uber has unveiled its community guidelines, listing specific behaviour that would lead to deactivation of low-rated riders' accounts.

San Francisco-based Uber had more than 91 million active riders and 3.9 million drivers across the world by December 2018, with services available over 63 countries and regions, according to its official website.

In the US, Uber fulfils 40 million rides every month.

--IANS

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