Republican strategist Daniel Turner is praising Uber’s new policy that enables the ride-hailing company to ban riders with low ratings from using the app, saying the plan will help “incentivize” people to treat one another with more respect.
“We are becoming a little bit uncivil as a society,” Turner, executive director of Power the Future, told Hill.TV on Friday.
“If we can somehow incentivize people to be nicer to each other in transactions, we’ve all seen people throw drinks at the Starbucks barista because they’re angry, I’ve seen it,” he added. “So if Uber can encourage us to be nice, I love it.”
Turner’s remarks come after Uber announced Wednesday that it may bar passengers with “significantly below average ratings” from using its app.
The ride-hailing company said riders who are at risk of being removed from the app will receive warnings and tips on how to improve their ratings, but if they don’t improve their behavior, they risk being deactivated.
The company expects the new policy to only affect a small number of riders, but said the move is “the right thing to do.”
The new initiative is part of a campaign to promote Uber’s new community guidelines, which are based on three principles: Treating everyone with respect, helping keep one another safe and following the law.
“Respect is a two-way street, and so is accountability,” Kate Parker, Uber’s head of Safety Brand and Initiatives, said in a statement announcing the move.
—Tess Bonn
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