Rejected ride-hailing drivers have little recourse in Mass.
After losing his job as a driver for Lyft, Edward Fares took his frustrations right to the top: Governor Charlie Baker.
Fares had just flunked the first background checks of ride-hailing drivers by the state of Massachusetts, for having his license suspended five years earlier for three minor traffic violations. Stuck at home, he posted an angry message to Baker’s Facebook page in March and, to his surprise, got a reply within a few hours.
“Did you try to appeal it?” Baker wrote to Fares. “If not, do you want to? As I understand the rules, you should be able to appeal.”
In fact, like thousands of other rejected drivers, Fares has little recourse.
Under the state’s strict rules, Fares and other drivers who recently learned they would not be permitted to drive for ride-hailing companies were rejected because their infractions were on a list of 18 “disqualifying conditions” that cannot be overturned. Many have their appeals automatically rejected, although drivers who can prove the information is inaccurate can get reinstated.
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