Uber, Lyft threaten to pull out of Austin over driver fingerprinting - CNET

Ride-hailing services Uber and Lyft plan to cease operations in Austin, Texas, after losing a vote over required fingerprint background checks for drivers.

The rival companies said they plan to shut down their services on Monday after voters in the Texas capitol rejected Proposition 1, a measure that would have insulated drivers from submitting to fingerprinting as part of checks into their backgrounds, according to KXAN. Lyft said the vote will make it harder for part-time drivers to offer rides in the city.

"We have to take a stand for a long-term path forward that lets ridesharing continue to grow across the country, and will pause operations in Austin on Monday, May 9," Lyft said in a statement. Uber did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The vote comes amid growing conce for the safety of passengers on ride-hailing services. In the past two years, Uber has been dogged by allegations of drivers assaulting, raping and kidnapping passengers.

Last month, Uber agreed to pay as much as $25 million to settle a lawsuit in Califoia that accused the ride-hailing company of misleading consumers about safety.