Former Boston police chief named to Uber safety board, blasts taxi industry
Ed Davis took the opportunity to toe the company line and criticize the taxi industry.
Former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis was named to Uber’s new safety advisory board Tuesday after working as a consultant for the transportation company on safety issues for several months.
As Boston’s police chief, Davis was responsible for the city’s hackney division, which oversees the taxi industry. But on a conference call Tuesday, Davis said taxis are “doing the minimum’’ for customers as he lauded Uber’s services.
“The big difference I’ve seen between the two industries is Uber’s concern for the customer,’’ Davis said.
Davis is one of six members joining the safety board. On the call, he said taxi owners had a “very monopolistic view of the business,’’ and suggested it came at customers’ expense.
“It’s a pleasant experience getting into an Uber compared to a taxi,’’ Davis said.
The New England Livery Association, which represents taxis and other licensed transportation services, fired back in response to the former chief’s criticism.
“We, in the taxi and chauffeured car industry, find it odd that the person who was in charge of the Hackney Division in Boston, and thus responsible for the quality control in cabs, is now denigrating them and their condition for customers,’’ spokesman Daniel Cence said.
“How does Ed Davis know what the condition of the back of some kid’s Corolla from New Hampshire looks like?’’ he added, a reference to Uber drivers.
Davis, who was commissioner during the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, said his work as a consultant was primarily with San Francisco-based Uber’s East Coast team. The board role will be an “enhancement’’ of that work, he said.
“These advisors will provide critical recommendations and counsel as we continue to develop new methods and technologies that reduce risk and increase safety for riders, drivers, and the public,’’ the company said in a blog post.
The massively popular smartphone app delivers 3 million rides every day. But safety has long been a primary concern of Uber users and critics, as its platform—which allows anybody with a car and a smartphone to apply to become a driver—is loosely regulated and in many places is not regulated at all. Its drivers have been connected with several instances of sexual assault across the globe.
The company conducts its own background checks and has been developing technology meant to enhance its safety, including a system that allows riders to share their location with friends or family.
Davis’s successor as commissioner, William Evans, in September called for Uber drivers to undergo fingerprint-based background checks, a measure Uber has resisted.
In Massachusetts, lawmakers heard earlier this year about several bills that would govern Uber and similar services. The issue was not advanced at the State House before the end of the legislative session this month.
Decades of Boston traffic jams:
[bdc-gallery id=”1430392″]
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com