Another Uber driver suspended after allegation of unauthorized ride

State officials impounded an Uber driver’s car Monday after the driver allegedly gave an unauthorized ride to an undercover enforcement agent on the Strip, a state lawyer said. Uber has suspended the driver, pending the results of the Nevada Transportation Authority's investigation and a hearing Wednesday.

It marks the second citation the NTA has issued to an Uber driver since the service launched last month.

The circumstances surrounding the two citations are nearly identical. In both cases, Uber drivers allegedly picked up plain-clothed enforcement officers monitoring the Strip without using the app, at which point they were operating without proper licensing, said Senior Deputy Attorney General David Newton.

Unlike taxi drivers, contracted drivers for ride-hailing companies such as Uber can provide transportation services only through the ride-hailing apps. They are not permitted to pick up passengers from street-hails. Doing so also violates the conditions that ride-hailing companies require their drivers to follow.

Uber spokeswoman Kayla Whaling said the company is working with the NTA.

“Any trip off the Uber platform is not an Uber trip,” she said. “This type of activity is not permissible."