Online ride-booking company Uber ramps up recruiting in Connecticut despite bill's failure

Connecticut lawmakers ran out of time to pass legislation that would have created a new regulatory system for ride-booking companies. But the firm Uber is ramping up recruitment of drivers across the state.

Last week, Uber announced a partnership with NAACP and other groups. The goal is to add 1,500 drivers in Connecticut cities.

The company said it signed up about 4,000 drivers in Connecticut over the past year. Uber expects to add an additional 5,000 by the end of 2015.

Uber Connecticut general manager Matt Powers says the company is already following many of the safety measures in the bill, including background checks of drivers.

The bill was wide-ranging and stemmed from weeks of negotiations. It passed the House of Representatives but did not come up in the Senate.