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Uber changes policy to prohibit guns in cars

by Jesse Byrnes - 06/19/15 8:28 PM ET

Ride-hailing company Uber has changed its policy to prohibit drivers and passengers from carrying guns in cars for trips arranged using its digital service.

Uber’s updated legal page on its website includes a policy prohibiting “firearms of any kind in a vehicle” operated by an Uber driver, with violators potentially losing access to the app.

“We have adopted a no-firearms policy to ensure that both riders and drivers feel safe and comfortable on the platform,” Uber’s Matt McKenna said in a statement to the New Republic, which first reported the change in policy.

{mosads}”We made this policy change after assessing existing policies and carefully reviewing recent feedback from both riders and driver-partners,” McKenna added.

Uber made the change June 10, according to the Associated Press. It previously required its drivers to abide by local, state and federal laws regarding firearms being transported in cars.

That policy came to light after a situation in April when prosecutors said an unidentified Uber driver with a concealed-carry permit fired off several shots after seeing a man open fire in a group of people, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. He did not face any charges.

Uber’s primary competitor, Lyft, has a “no weapons” policy – even if one is legal based on local laws on weapons possession – and removes any driver or passenger who violates the policy from its service.

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