Latest news with #protocols
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Uber Canada says it's changed emergency policies after driver left with child in backseat
Uber Canada says it has updated its safety protocols for emergency situations after an incident in March where company representatives refused to contact a driver after he drove off with a child. Julia Viscomi said Uber customer support refused to help her or Toronto police contact the driver after he left with her 5-year-old daughter asleep in the backseat in North York, CBC Toronto reported in April. Police ended up finding the child without receiving help from Uber, about an hour and a half after the driver left with her, Viscomi said. "While our standard protocol for serious safety incidents directs that only trained law enforcement should initiate contact with a driver, we recognize that exceptional circumstances, such as the incident on March 10, 2025, may require frontline customer support agents to step in and facilitate communication," Uber Canada said in a statement on Friday. "As a result, we have updated our internal procedures to reflect this important clarification." This update is effective immediately, the company confirmed to CBC Toronto. Viscomi said she was "absolutely elated" by the change. "There had been nothing [but] silence from both the City of Toronto and Uber for the last little while so I knew that things were being worked on, but I didn't know to what extent," she said. "This was a very happy surprise." 'Our response could and should have been better' Michael van Hemmen, general manager of Uber Canada Rides, wrote a letter to Viscomi dated Thursday, apologizing for the incident. "Our response could and should have been better, as our policies weren't built with this type of circumstance in mind," he wrote in the letter, provided to CBC Toronto. He said the internal updates "recognize that in exceptional circumstances, such as the one involving your child, time is of the essence." After the Uber representatives would not contact the driver, Viscomi said she called 911. An officer called Uber to get contact information for the driver but she said a representative for the ride-sharing company refused to provide it — stating the police needed to fill out a form. Uber's guidelines for law enforcement say emergency disclosure requests must be submitted through the company's public safety response portal or by email using its emergency disclosure form. WATCH | Police tracked down child without help from Uber: Spokesperson Keerthana Rang said the Uber Canada support team followed standard protocols during the incident and advised the rider to contact law enforcement. A Toronto police officer submitted a request through the public safety response portal on the night of the incident, she said in an email to Radio-Canada on Friday. Uber Canada responded with identifying information on the driver, but it took just over an hour for Toronto police to get this information, she said — leading the company to initiate an internal review to review its existing processes and identity opportunities for improvement. Toronto police confirmed in April that they found the child without help from Uber Canada. In Friday's statement, Uber Canada said it has provided Toronto police with a "comprehensive overview of how Uber handles emergency requests." The company said it distributed internal reference materials and spoke at a monthly meeting of senior officers. In-person training with officers about Uber's public safety team and portal have been scheduled for the fall. Uber Canada said it also met with senior leadership from the City of Toronto's municipal licensing and standards division to discuss the incident. Shane Gerard, a spokesperson for the city, confirmed to CBC Toronto on Friday afternoon that "staff are currently meeting with vehicle for hire industry stakeholders like Uber to assess the best way to address the City Council direction in April." That direction asked staff to advise council on possible city actions to require vehicle-for-hire licensees "to take greater accountability to directly assist customers and law enforcement in emergency situations." Gerard noted that a staff member has "emailed and spoken" with Viscomi since council's April decision. Uber Canada said it has implemented other updates as well to safety protocols and operational procedures, but cannot disclose them "to protect and operational integrity and security of our safety systems."
The National
21-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Inquiry launched at Charles de Gaulle airport after agent chants 'free Palestine' to passengers
French airport authorities have acknowledged a breach of protocols after a staff member was filmed confronting passengers with a political chant. The actions of a security agent at Charles de Gaulle near Paris was described by the airport's managing company, Groupe ADP, as 'unacceptable.' The staff member is understood to have been identified following the circulation of a viral video in which she is heard saying 'free Palestine' after inspecting the passports of passengers, believed to be from Israel. The incident took place earlier this month during a secondary passport check after initial security screening – a procedure implemented for certain sensitive destinations, including Israel. The passport inspection was carried out by an external security company contracted by Air France. In the video, which was posted on social media platform X on July 18, the agent can be heard saying 'free Palestine' as she walks past the group. It was reported that she had previously checked their passports. Air France told daily Le Figaro that it is 'deeply attached to the values of welcome, respect and neutrality' and that it would ensure that these principles would be reiterated 'with the greatest firmness' to the unnamed service provider. Its staff 'are subject to the duty of reserve', Air France added. The company is not reported to have confirmed the passengers' nationality. Last week a security breach at the Tour de France cycle race made headlines when an anti-Israel protester attempted to interrupt cyclists competing in the competition. Following publication of the video from the airport, Groupe ADP said that it would launch an investigation to verify whether the incident took place in a Parisian airport. If it were the case, Groupe ADP said on X, the employee's attitude 'would be of course unacceptable'. The video has triggered widespread reaction online, with several commentators accusing the security agent of anti-Semitism. The Israel-Palestine conflict is highly sensitive topic in France. Anti-Semitic incidents nearly quadrupled in 2023 due to the start of the Gaza war, but decreased by six per cent the following year.
Daily Mail
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Cricket chiefs bring in new rule after England were left raging when India exploited loophole to claim series win
International cricket chiefs have moved to ensure there will be no repeat of the controversy that marred India 's Twenty20 series win over England last winter, by amending concussion protocols. England were left fuming in Pune five months ago when, with the series on the line, India were permitted to introduce Harshit Rana — a 90-mile-per-hour fast bowler — in place of batting all-rounder Shivam Dube. Harshit went on to claim three key wickets in a 15-run victory that surged the home team into an unassailable 3-1 lead. Match referee Javagal Srinath, a former India international, permitted the 'like-for-like' replacement during England's chase despite Harshit batting in only three of his previous 25 T20 career appearances, scoring two runs, and Dube bowling just nine overs in his previous dozen T20 internationals. However, from now on concussion replacements must be settled upon in advance of the toss, removing the advantage previously held by the home team of selecting from a greater pool of players. The other significant change made by the International Cricket Council in relation to concussions is the introduction of a mandatory seven-day sit-out period for any player deemed to have been concussed. Remarkably, Dube returned to action for the fifth and final match of the series in Mumbai just 48 hours after the Pune row. Previously, ICC guidelines stopped short of enforcing a sit-out, simply advising that a 'player should usually take at least seven days out.' In a huge break with tradition, the ICC is also preparing to introduce injury substitutes for the first time at international level — after announcing a six-month trial in domestic first-class matches around the world from October. Players who suffer serious injury on the field of play at any time after the match has started (including any pre-match warm-up period) can be replaced for the remainder of the match by a like-for-like player. It is designed to stop teams becoming disadvantaged when a player is ruled out of participating further in normal capacity due to a significant impairment such as a fractured bone or torn muscle. Among the changes to the playing conditions coming in with immediate effect is a requirement for a fielder who makes airborne contact with the ball beyond the boundary to then land and remain inside the boundary. An individual that has left the field of play can make subsequent contact with the ball while still airborne but landing outside the perimeter will result in four or six being signalled and catches not being upheld, even if another player completes the fielding. This change will be implemented in international cricket before it is included in the laws of the game by the MCC next year. A stop clock in Test cricket has also been introduced, replicating its use in limited-overs internationals. The fielding team will be given a warning if not ready to begin an over within 60 seconds of the previous one being completed. Failure to do so after two warnings will result in a five-run penalty being imposed against the fielding team for every subsequent breach up to 80 overs when the tally reverts back to zero. Only one ball will be used in the last 16 overs of one-day international innings. Two new balls will be used until the end of the 34th over, at which point the fielding team will choose the ball to continue with. The wicket zone for DRS judgments will now be the actual outline of the stumps and bails, while any deliberate short runs will not only lead to a five-run penalty, but the chance for the fielding team to choose which of the two batters takes strike next delivery. On a trial basis in white-ball matches, the position of the batter's legs at the point of delivery will now be used as the reference point for a wide, even if the batter subsequently moves across to the off side, providing bowlers with greater leeway.
