The Latest on a bill in South Carolina requiring illuminated signs for ride share vehicles (all times local):
6:55 p.m.
The South Carolina House has given key approval to a bill that would require Uber, Lyft and other ride sharing vehicles to have illuminated signs.
The House voted 99-1 to approve the bill Tuesday. It needs one more routine vote before it will be sent to the Senate.
The bill was introduced just days after the March 29 death of 21-year-old University of South Carolina student Samantha Josephson. Police say Josephson was killed after getting into a car she thought was her Uber after it pulled into an area where drivers frequently pick up riders in Columbia’s bar district.
Supporters say the bill gives riders a chance to locate what could be their car before they get too close. Safety experts say riders will need to confirm the car’s license plate and ask the driver to recite the rider’s name and destination.
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3:55 p.m.
A South Carolina lawmaker sponsoring a bill requiring Uber, Lyft and other ride sharing drivers to have a lighted sign says he knows it isn’t a foolproof way to keep riders safe.
But Democratic Rep. Seth Rose of Columbia said Tuesday that it’s an easy first step so a tipsy college student or distracted concertgoer can immediately know whether a vehicle is their ride.
The bil l is awaiting debate on the House floor. Rose filed it days after the death of 21-year-old University of South Carolina student Samantha Josephson. Police say Josephson was killed March 29 after getting into a car she apparently thought was her Uber.
Rose acknowledges that impostors could find the signs online. But he says utility uniforms are also available online and yet employees still wear them to identify themselves.
