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KING COUNTY, Wash. — New legislation passed by the King County Council on Wednesday requires taxi and ride-share drivers to receive sex trafficking awareness training in order to complete their county licensing process.
The training will not only teach drivers to both spot potential victims and survivors, but also how to report the instances and provide them with support services.
Thousands of drivers would receive this training. King County had 2,453 taxi and for-hire drivers and 27,842 app-based ride-share drivers operating in the area in 2017.
"Ride-share and taxi drivers are often on the front lines of the human trafficking trade," Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles said. "By providing them with training about this horrific practice, they will be better able to recognize when someone is being trafficked and know what steps to take in response to connect potential victims to information to get them help and to safety."
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