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Thousands of Uber and Lyft drivers fail background checks in Massachusetts

BOSTON — State officials say more than 8,000 people who applied to drive for ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft in Massachusetts have failed a required background check.

More than 62,000 drivers were approved, including some who applied to drive for both companies.

The background checks were required under a state law approved last year that officials said called for the most stringent background checks in the country for drivers of ride-hailing services.

“You’re putting yourself in someone else’s car. So in my opinion you can never be too safe,” one Uber rider said.

Of the 8,206 applicants who were denied, the figures released Wednesday show the largest number were turned away because their license had been suspended, they had been licensed to drive for less than three years, or they had multiple serious driving offenses.

More than 300 applicants had felony convictions on their record and 51 were registered sex offenders.

“They should be held to high standards if they want to be driving around the city and driving a ton of people,” Uber rider Bekah Wheeler said.

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