Under a new state background check process in Massachusetts, 8,206 people who applied to drive for ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft between January and April were denied licenses, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities announced Wednesday.
Most of the rejections were due to suspended licenses or people not having enough years of driving experience to qualify for the companies, The Boston Globe reports. There were hundreds of other applications tossed out due to serious crimes, like violent offenses or reckless driving, and 51 sex offenders were denied licenses. A total of 70,789 applications were submitted.
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