Uber recruiting drivers in Central Falls, taxi drivers react

By News Staff

Reporting by Liz Tufts

ltufts@abc6.com

The popular ride-sharing service, "Uber" is headed to another city in Rhode Island.

Uber has taken off in big cities like New York, D.C., Boston, and even Providence. Now, the service is trying to recruit drivers in Central Falls, and while it's sure to create more jobs, others say the service is putting them out of work.

The Mayor of Central Falls, James Diossa, says he's welcoming the riding share service with open arms, "When the unemployment rate is very high, any job opportunity is important. So, for Uber to show an interest in Central Falls, that is showing the city is progressing."

The news isn't sitting well for taxi drivers like Jerry Pellerin, "Some days I have good days, some days I have bad days," he explains.

Pellerin says his business has dropped dramatically. A long line of taxis in front of the Amtrak Station in Providence remained stationary for hours, as many travelers called Uber instead.

Pellerin says the service simply isn't safe, "They don't need a background check, so if you are getting into a car, you don't know how safe they are."

Uber claims the company's insurance provides more than a million dollars of commercial liability for every trip.

Taxi drivers say the service needs to be regulated, "Now everybody is an Uber driver… and we don't know who is, it's not good for the state of Rhode Island," says taxi driver, James Oisamaiye.

For now, drivers like Pellerin say they will be out of jobs soon if Uber expands across the state. Right now it's available in Providence, Warwick, and Newport.

"We are losing jobs. Nobody is taking cabs, everybody is taking Uber," he says.

Uber is recruiting drivers Thursday night at the Adams Memorial Library in Central Falls until 8 p.m. Uber says drivers must have a valid license, proof of insurance, and must submit to a background check.

© WLNE-TV 2015