Ride Responsibly, PAVE Call for Better TNC Background Checks

NLA President Gary Buffo Marlton, N.J. — The National Limousine Association’s (NLA’s) Ride Responsibly initiative partnered with nonprofit organization Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment (PAVE) to produce a public service campaign, starring actress, activist, and sexual violence survivor Pamela Anderson.

The PSA, which can be viewed at youtu.be/bb9ZxP4rgSk, draws attention to the vast number of sexual assaults that have occurred in ride-hailing vehicles and questions if these were caused by insufficient background check procedures. It serves as a call to action following alarming revelations of sexual harassment and assault that reach far beyond Hollywood and Washington, D.C.

The video, titled “The Signs,” is Anderson’s second PSA for the Ride Responsibly initiative, and comes on the heels of the #MeToo movement. It is a stark reminder that even getting from point A to B comes with a risk.

“The astounding number of tweets that referenced #MeToo and #uber was absolutely frightening, and disheartening to say the least,” said NLA President Gary Buffo. “It is time to recognize that these services are simply unsafe and pose an inherent threat to anyone using them, due to the blatantly insufficient background checks that transportation network companies (TNCs) use. Our partner, PAVE, has been instrumental in our campaign to inform the public about the dangers these services pose. Together, we are actively working to compel safety measures that will prevent these crimes.”

For more than 20 years, Angela Rose and PAVE have been the only national charitable organization committed to both sexual harassment and assault prevention and recovery. Through its support, social advocacy, training, and education programs, PAVE is leading the way and tackling these issues head on in the hopes of minimizing their occurrences and impact.

Rose, the founder and director of PAVE, said “through our work with survivors, we have always been aware that cases of sexual assault and harassment can occur just about anywhere. Unfortunately, this now includes ride-hail apps such as Uber and Lyft, which is why we have partnered with the National Limousine Association and Pamela Anderson. It is critical that everyone be made aware of the risks associated with ride-hailing apps and PAVE is excited to support this campaign with best practices and tangible safety tips. It’s important to note that no matter how many safety tips you practice, it is never your fault if someone harms you.”

She added: “While we are so proud of the #MeToo movement and all of the brave men and women that have come forward, we are constantly working to bring an end to these crimes.”

“When I first embarked on my quest to raise awareness about the safety risks associated with ride-hailing apps, I had no idea of the frequency or disturbing nature of the incidents,” Anderson said. “The reaction to our first campaign was inspiring, and also disheartening, as many voices came to the surface echoing the sentiment, #MeToo. Action, however, is more effective than a hashtag, and it is critical that we take the next step, demand justice for victims and force ride-hail apps to ensure our safety in their vehicles. Fingerprint-based background checks are a simple step that these transportation providers can take, and it is beyond me why this practice isn’t commonplace in 2018. These apps are optimized for predators and will remain so until common sense safety measures are put in place.”

Visit rideresponsibly.org and limo.org to learn more about the Ride Responsibly initiative and the NLA, respectively. Visit pavingtheway.net to learn more about PAVE.

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