Today we have asked for approval from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California to settle two cases: Philliben v. Uber Technologies, Inc. and Mena v. Uber Technologies, Inc. As part of this settlement, we have agreed to pay $28.5 million to around 25 million riders and to avoid using certain language in safety-related advertising as well as the term Safe Ride Fee.

Technology enables us to focus on safety for riders and drivers before, during and after a trip in ways that were simply not possible before smartphones.  For example, by sharing driver information with riders–their license plate and photo ID–before they get into the car; by tracking trips using GPS from beginning to end; and by enabling riders to share their ETA or route with family and friends. However no means of transportation can ever be 100 percent safe. Accidents and incidents do happen. That’s why it’s important to ensure that the language we use to describe safety at Uber is clear and precise.

Going forward we will rename the Safe Ride Fee a Booking Fee. It will be used to cover safety as well as additional operational costs that could arise in the future. This is similar to the approach that Lyft has taken. The next step is for the judge to approve or reject this settlement. If approved, members of the class action will be notified by email and given the choice to be paid either by credit card or to their rider account. The class includes passengers who took a trip in the U.S. between January 1, 2013 and January 31, 2016.

We are glad to put these cases behind us and we will continue to invest in new technology and great customer services so that we can help improve safety in the cities we serve.