Miami Cop Fines Female Uber Driver for Not Speaking Proper English
A Florida-based Uber driver was fined this weekend for violating a county ordinance that required drivers to speak proper English.
Uber driver Carmen Echevarria spoke against a Miami police officer after she was given a $250 ticket for not being able to speak the English language well enough. Echevarria was fined last week as part of a May 2016 Miami-Dade County memorandum rule that requires drivers of all transportation networks to be able to communicate in Engllish.
In an interview with CBS Miami, Miami-Dade County Director of Communications Michael Hernandez said the memorandum does not necessarily mean drivers should speak in fluent English, but just basic knowledge of the language.
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When reached out for a comment, a spokesperson for Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez told NBC Miami that the matter is now under review by the county. Gimenez has the authority to waive Echevarria's fine, and the mayor's office said it's likely that he will do it.
Reports point out that the incident involving Echevarria was not an isolated occurrence. Around 40 drivers have been previously fined in Miami-Dade for not meeting the language requirement, based on the statistics obtained from a representative of Miami-Dade's Transportation Department.
As of July 1, the code will no longer be implemented once new statewide rules supersede it. A bill that was passed in April and signed by Governor Rick Scott last month will undo the county's English language requirement, alongside other local regulations on transport services including Lyft and Uber.
A spokesperson for Uber has already released a press statement on the issue. "We are proud of the diversity of driver partners in the South Florida market and until statewide regulations go into effect on July 1st, ask all driver partners in the state to follow all applicable local laws and regulations," the rep said.
