Ride-sharing companies accused of misleading customers on safety

The ride-sharing industry, which started out as a taxi alternative for Northern California bar-hoppers and is now a mutlibillion-dollar industry, has prompted demands for stricter government control from public officials and competing cab companies.

Particularly, companies like Uber, Lyft and Sidecar are accused of failing to comply with rules governing airport pickups and fare pricing, as well as as failing to conduct adequate background checks on drivers, who often use their own vehicles, according to the Los Angeles Times.

San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon is among officials pushing for regulation, and he said prosecutors could file restraining orders or hit the companies with fines.

Read more from the Los Angeles Times.