ATLANTA — A Cherokee County lawmaker, who moonlights as an Uber and Lyft driver, is sponsoring a bill that would allow rideshare drivers to carry permitted firearms in their vehicles, even if it goes against ride-share company policy.
State Rep. Scot Turner, R-Holly Springs, believes ride-share drivers ought to be able to carry permitted firearms in their cars after a recent spate of attacks.
“Over the past year, we’ve seen at least 11 attacks that we know of targeting rideshare drivers,” Turner said. “People know that they are unarmed, and so they’re soft targets.”
Turner said both Uber and Lyft, in their driver agreements, forbid drivers from carrying firearms. Under Georgia law, drivers can keep firearms in their vehicle as it is viewed as an extension of their house.
However, if a driver agrees to the ride-share company's restrictions, they agree to give up that right.
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Turner said he doesn’t want to use government to circumvent a private-sector company restriction, but in this case he feels its warranted.
“The problem here is that you have to balance a corporate policy with public safety,” said Turner. “Since we know that there’s a public safety issue, that’s an appropriate time for the government to step in and say this corporate policy is creating an issue, and people's lives are at stake.”
Emails to Uber and Lyft for comment went unreturned.
Atlanta resident Nicole Jordan uses rideshare companies from time to time, but if this law passed, she said she’d be worried for her own safety.
“I don’t feel comfortable with that at all,” Jordan said. “My safety, the driver’s safety, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
The bill has been assigned to a House committee for review.