Jersey City hopes to make mandatory the obligation for carpool vehicles to have an "identification signage" after Samantha Josephson's death

by



[ad_1]

Mayor Steven Fulop on Friday announced a prescription proposal, according to a press release issued by his office. The order comes after the death of Samantha Josephson, a student at the University of South Carolina and a native of New Jersey, who was kidnapped and murdered when she mistakenly boarded a vehicle that She thought she was Uber's conduct.

As a result, the purpose of the order is to alert runners and prevent another incident such as the murder of Josephson, the statement said. The order will be presented at the Jersey City Council meeting on April 10.

"These unfortunate tragedies highlight the work that can be done at the administrative level to ensure people's safety," said Fulop. "I encourage all carpool users to check the driver they've been asking for by looking for these signs and, as an added precaution, ask the driver to identify himself with the help of the driver." 39; a name or a personal identification number. "

In New Jersey, there is currently no regulation or law requiring carpool vehicles to use signposts, the statement said. The carpool regulation was passed by the state until this order, said Fulop.

Man allegedly driver and raped woman, police say

"We are taking care of this problem locally, instead of waiting for others to act," said Fulop.

The mayor added that when the ordinance will be passed, fines will be added if carpooling drivers do not have the necessary signage. The fines ranged from $ 500 to $ 2,000. Fulop said he hoped the order would become a "common practice everywhere," as carpooling vehicles move between New Jersey and New York.

"It's a bit of common sense," Fulop said.

According to Fulop, the Jersey City ordinance is modeled on the upcoming legislation of South Carolina.

"The idea is that signs are provided by companies and are only returned when the driver stops working for them," he said.

South Carolina lawmakers this week introduced the Carpool Safety Act by Samantha L. Josephson. It also requires carpool drivers to have light signs on their vehicles that are provided by the carpool company.
"We can not stop a psychopath from doing something hideous, but as lawmakers and policymakers, we must take precautions to avoid any risk of re-offending," said the South Carolina representative, Seth Rose, at WIS-TV.
CNN contacted Uber and the company declined to comment on Jersey City's order. A spokesman for Uber told CNN that the company plans to launch a "Check Your Ride" awareness campaign on social media, to buy ads on university pages with the public message "Check Your Ride" and to send notifications when withdrawing to remind Ride "steps.

CNN also contacted Lyft, who said through a spokesperson that safety was the number one priority of the company.

"From day one, we have worked hard to develop policies and features that protect both drivers and passengers," the CNN spokesman said in an e-mail. "New Jersey statewide carpool legislation supports this commitment, and local regulations would be inconsistent with this goal and could result in a patchwork system that is less effective and more confusing."

The family of the murdered student demands better security for passengers

A family of a murdered student demands more responsibility from carpool companies

Josephson's family also appealed to carpool companies at his funeral Wednesday.

"The message of the family, that he hopes that people – some young adults -, take advantage of this senseless killing (…), is that the carpool community, Uber and Lyft, draws lessons and appropriates the fortune made by their clients, "Seth Josephson, a cousin, read a family statement outside the Beth Chaim congregation at Princeton Junction.

"Education and laws need to be put in place to protect people in the carpool industry. With the millions of dollars that it earns, the Ubers and the Lyft should be forced to go out of their way. adjust their business model to better ensure the safety of their runners, "said Seth Josephson.

Josephson's family also said that passengers should check the pickup details before boarding a vehicle.

CNN's Laura Ly, Eric Levenson, Dianne Gallagher and Meridith Edwards contributed to this report.

[ad_2]

Source link