A man posing as a driver for local rideshare company Uride has police worried enough that they have issued a public warning.
The North Bay Police Service has received a complaint that a driver is operating locally, falsely claiming to be a registered driver for Uride.
"The driver of the vehicle is not registered with this rideshare service and is fraudulently representing themself as a representative of the company," the news release warns.
Because the driver is not registered with Uride he cannot accept payment digitally through the app, and at the end of trips, the driver demands cash payment from riders.
"It is believed that the vehicle is equipped with the same decals that are used on registered Uride vehicles," say police.
To ensure your safety, verify that a rideshare or taxi is legitimate before entering the vehicle. Local taxi and rideshare companies are registered and licensed in order to ensure that they follow applicable safety regulations.
"The Uride rideshare app provides users with all information necessary to verify that your ride is legitimate. When your rideshare arrives, double check the driver’s photo and name as well as the vehicle description and license plate number in order to ensure you are entering a legitimate, registered vehicle. If the information does not match, do not enter the vehicle."
There are currently no reports of the operator behaving in a violent manner, however, as the driver is not registered to a rideshare or taxi company, they have not completed proper safety screening.
"To ensure your own safety, riders should only use licensed taxi and rideshare services," suggest police.
“The North Bay Police Service is actively investigating reports of an individual falsely claiming to represent a local rideshare service,” said Sergeant Matt Parker. “Before you get in a vehicle, help ensure your own safety by verifying the driver’s identity and the vehicle information.”
“Uride is extremely disappointed to learn that someone is impersonating a Uride driver,” said Vince Scott, Regional Operations Manager. “We take the safety and well-being of the community very seriously. We would like to remind all residents that drivers on the Uride platform are all thoroughly vetted and we urge them to only access Uride via our app and confirm the license plate and vehicle prior to entering a vehicle.”
If you believe you have travelled in an unregistered rideshare or taxi or have additional information about this occurrence, please report the incident to the North Bay Police Service at 705-497-5555.
