Seattle City Council considers pilot program to regulate ride-share services
Dec 12, 2013, 10:13 AM | Updated: 2:21 pm
Ride-share services like Uber and Lyft could soon come under the thumb of the Seattle City Council, which is considering a new pilot program to regulate the upstarts that have shaken up the taxi industry.
Cab companies have been up in arms as the new services cut heavily into their business. So councilmember Sally Clark has crafted a proposal for a new two-year pilot program that would put a series of rules in place for the previously unregulated services, KING 5 reports.
Under the proposal, the services would be limited to 100 vehicles, drivers would need special permits, and some would be prohibited from driving more than 16 hours per week.
The proposal also sets guidelines for insurance requirements, vehicle inspections and background checks for drivers.
“I want to be really clear it is a starting point,” said Clark.
But Uber Seattle general manager Brooke Steger calls the proposed rules “anti-competitive and not forward thinking.”
Steger argues the company already has many of those rules in place for its drivers, and capping drivers and hours would hurt service and unfairly limit the companies that allow users to hail a ride via smartphone or online.
Clark’s proposal would require the companies to also pay for a new business license, which could run upwards of $50,000 or more per year. The money would be used to pay for staff to regulate the services.
The council’s Taxi, For-Hire and Limousine Regulations Committee will meet Friday to consider the proposal and make any possible changes. A final plan would be voted on early next year.
