Bad riders could be banned under new Uber policy

May 29 (UPI) -- Badly behaving Uber passengers can be banned from using the ride-sharing service if their rating score falls below a certain threshold, the company said in a policy update Wednesday.

Kate Parker, head of Uber's safety brand and initiatives, said riders and drivers will see a summary of the changes and asked to confirm.

Parker said polite behavior, not leaving behind trash and not encouraging drivers to break the speed limit are ways to improve scores. The opposite, she said, would qualify riders for the ban.

"Respect is a two-way street, and so is accountability," Parker said in a statement. "Drivers have long been expected to meet a minimum rating threshold which can vary city to city. While we expect only a small number of riders to ultimately be impacted by ratings-based deactivations, it's the right thing to do."

Parker added there will be an education campaign so riders and drivers can better understand the guidelines and avoid pitfalls. She said riders will receive warnings about low rating before a ban comes.

"These standards are only effective if everyone on our platform understands them," Parker said."That's why we're launching a campaign to educate the entire Uber community about these guidelines. From in-app messages and email to signs in Greenlight Hubs, we'll get the word out to customers and partners."

Parker, though, did not mention specifically what rating would get riders kicked off the Uber app. Riders and drivers can rate each other on a scale of 1 to 5.

A leaked Uber document in 2015 indicates drivers can be deactivated if their rating falls below 4.6.