Uber's David Plouffe on who Uber values more — drivers or customers?

Enlarge Photo

Victor J. Blue | Bloomberg

Senior Vice President of Policy and Strategy for Uber David Plouffe discusses the company’s expansion into U.S. cities and states including Washington D.C.

Krystal Peak

Social engagement manager- San Francisco Business Times

Email  |  LinkedIn  |  Twitter

This week, the D.C. Council passed a bill that establishes how Washington, D.C. will monitor and regulate ridesharing services, a policy Uber executives hope will become a model for other cities, states and jurisdictions around the country — or the world.

Scroll down to see the video.(It may take a few moments to load.)

The controversial bill, the Vehicle-for-Hire Innovation Act of 2014, requires background checks on Uber drivers going back seven years, annual safety inspections and $1 million in liability insurance when a driver is en route to a rider and when the rider is actually being transported. Also, UberX drivers can't spontaneously pick up passengers who hail them on the street — customers must request the service ahead of time.

The bill was heavily opposed by the taxi unions.

Senior Vice President of Policy and Strategy for Uber, David Plouffe, sat down with Bloomberg this week to discuss why Uber wants other areas to adopt similar rules. He also answers this question: Who does the company values more, drivers or customers?

Krystal Peak is social engagement manager at the San Francisco Business Times.