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Pennsylvania Commission Says Uber's Background Check Process Needs Upgrading

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Uber's background check process needs upgrading, per the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. The commission recently released its first-ever review on the company's process and found seven major areas for improvement.

The commission also released Uber's implementation plan in response to the report. The commission said the ridesharing service is already fully or partially accepting all of its recommendations. It found seven major issues:

• Uber's background check monitoring of Pennsylvania drivers can be improved

• Its apps offer safety features but its visibility could improve

• Rasier-PA, owned by Uber, often fails to reach definitive conclusions in complaint investigations

• Driver deactivations due to safety concerns are not shared

• Rasier-PA's safety initiatives haven't been completed or released to everyone

• Rasier-PA doesn't have performance goals established

• Rasier-PA's polices and procedures documentation aren't formalized

'I Can't Tell You How Painful This Is': Family, Friends Remember Samantha Josephson

Some of the recommendations include strengthening Uber's background check and monitoring features, redesign the safety toolkit icon, reduce the level of insufficient information in complaint investigations and explore creating a database for deactivated drivers.

The review included a study of Uber's driver onboarding process, background check practices, how it handles both driver and rider complaints, contracts established with Rasier-PA's background check provider and the in-app safety features, among other areas.

Ridesharing services' safety standards have been in the spotlight after Samantha Josephson, a 21-year-old New Jersey student at the University of South Carolina, mistook a mysterious car for her Uber and was murdered Friday in South Carolina.

Seymour Josephson, her father, said during a vigil Sunday that he's apply pressure on ridesharing services to increase its safety standards.

"Samantha was by herself, she had absolutely no chance," Josephson said. "None. The door was locked. The child-safety lock was on. She had absolutely no chance. If there's somebody else in the car, there's actually a chance."

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