Lyft drivers get lighted signs before state law requires them
By next summer, drivers for rideshare companies such as Lyft and Uber will need to post a lighted sign in their vehicle with the company name and logo, under a state law meant to ensure riders get into the right car.
On Tuesday, hundreds of Lyft drivers came to Moore Square in downtown Raleigh to pick up an “Amp,” the company’s version of the lighted sign. It was one of several Amp distribution events Lyft has planned across North Carolina as it helps its drivers comply with the law, known as the Passenger Protection Act.
One part of the act has already gone into effect. It requires rideshare drivers to display their car’s license number so it can be seen from the front (North Carolina issues only one license plate and requires that it be on the back). Lyft and Uber have already distributed placards with each driver’s license numbers that they can place in their front window.
And while the lighted signs aren’t required until July 1, Lyft is working to get them to its drivers in North Carolina now to make it easier for riders to identify its drivers, says Lauren Pelletier, general manager for the Carolinas. In an email, Pelletier said drivers have embraced the Amp, which is a high-tech replacement for the windshield decal they receive when they sign up.
“I know our drivers want their riders to be able to easily identify them before entering the vehicle,” she wrote. “We hosted today’s event because we wanted our busy drivers to be able to conveniently and quickly equip their cars with Amps.”
The Passenger Protection Act, House Bill 391, was introduced by Rep. John Bell IV, a Republican from Wayne County, after the killing last spring of a University of South Carolina student who got into an unmarked Chevrolet Impala she thought was her Uber ride home in Columbia. The driver was charged with murder and kidnapping.
Bell, the House Majority Leader, stopped by Moore Square on Tuesday to draw attention to the law and the lights that will soon become standard on all Lyft rides.
“These lights will clearly allow a rideshare customer to see the rideshare coming from a safe distance before going through the appropriate protocol, which is what’s my name and also identifying the license plate on the front of the car,” Bell said. “So it keeps passengers safe but also keeps the driver safe as well.”
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Lyft drivers from the Triangle were invited to get their Amps Tuesday; those who hadn’t registered in advance went away empty handed. Lyft says drivers can arrange to have an Amp mailed to their home or pick one up at one of the company’s driver hubs. The company doesn’t disclose how many drivers it has, Pelletier said.
Not only do the Amps fulfill the state’s mandate for a lighted sign, but they can also help a rider find their particular Lyft. When a driver has been summoned, the sign’s normal purplish color will change to a hue that will match the color on the rider’s app, which also provides a photo of the driver and the vehicle they’re waiting for.
“I think it’s important to make people feel secure,” said Necole Corbett of Raleigh, who has been driving for Lyft since February and collected her Amp on Tuesday. “I know they know the person and the car, but people don’t always pay attention to that.”
It’s not clear that customers know to look for the lighted signs yet. Cerys Humphreys of Chapel Hill has been driving for Lyft for only a few weeks but said none of her riders have commented on her lack of a sign.
“I’ve never been asked about it,” Humphreys said, clutching the box containing her new Amp. “But I know as a rider I look for it.”
Jonathan Dupree of Pittsboro was unaware that Amps will be required next summer; he came to Raleigh to get one because people don’t always recognize him as their ride when he pulls to the curb.
“Anything to increase the visibility of who we are,” he said, “make it easier to spot the car.”
Dupree also understands the reasons the behind the Passenger Protection Act. Meeting people and talking with them is one of the reasons he enjoys driving for Lyft, but he acknowledges there’s an element of risk when a rider gets into someone else’s car.
“Anything we can do to ensure the rider knows I’m a legit Lyft driver will help,” he said.
The Passenger Protection Act also makes it a misdemeanor to impersonate a rideshare driver, either verbally or with a sign or logo. Impersonating a driver while committing a felony, such as kidnapping or assault, is a Class H felony, punishable by up to three years and three months in prison.
The law also makes it a misdemeanor to assault a rideshare driver.
This story was originally published December 3, 2019 at 6:11 PM.
