Both Uber and Lyft, companies that facilitate rideshare services for customers, have pledged to cover the legal fees for drivers who get sued under Texas’ new abortion law, CNBC reported Friday.
This law, which went into effect Thursday, bans abortions after detect cardiac activity is detected. According to CNBC, this usually occurs around six weeks after conception, often before women even know they’re pregnant.
Before the Texas law went into effect this week, the Supreme Court denied an emergency appeal from abortion providers.
As part of the new law – which does not make exceptions for rape or incest – citizens have the right to file civil suits and collect damages against anyone who is considered to be aiding an abortion, including drivers who transport women to clinics.
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However, Lyft said in a letter sent to drivers that they can’t be held responsible for where they take customers.
“Drivers are never responsible for monitoring where their riders go or why. Imagine being a driver and not knowing if you are breaking the law by giving someone a ride,” said the letter. “Similarly, riders never have to justify, or even share, where they are going and why. Imagine being a pregnant woman trying to get to a healthcare appointment and not knowing if your driver will cancel on you for fear of breaking a law. Both are completely unacceptable.”
Lyft CEO Logan Green announced Friday that his company created a fund to cover 100 percent of legal fees drivers may face if sued under the law, CNBC said.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi followed suit soon after and promised to join Lyft's efforts with a similar policy for its drivers.
“This law is incompatible with people's basic rights to privacy, our community guidelines, the spirit of rideshare, and our values as a company,” said Lyft’s letter to drivers. In addition to its legal defense fund, Lyft plans to donate $1 million to Planned Parenthood “to help ensure that transportation is never a barrier to healthcare access” it said.
In addition to abortions, Planned Parenthood offers a range of reproductive health services.
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