Another Bill Would Regulate Uber
The multi-billion dollar ride-hailing company says the new proposal would force Uber out of the market on Oahu.
Honolulu City Councilman Brandon Elefante has introduced a bill that proposes a new regulatory framework for Uber, Lyft and other ride-hailing companies that rely on smartphone applications to connect passengers with drivers.
Unlike Bill 85 — another measure that the Council is considering that would force ride-hailing companies to comply with the same requirements as taxi companies — Bill 32 would regulate them separately as “transportation network companies.”
That’s what Uber representatives have urged the Council to do. But the company doesn’t like the details of Elefante’s proposal.
Bill 32 would require Uber and Lyft drivers to receive city-issued certificates. To do so, they would have to pass a test showing they understand traffic laws and submit proof of a background check, among other requirements.
Uber spokeswoman Taylor Patterson said Tuesday that the bill would be costly to taxpayers and that it would make more sense for the city to permit ride-hailing companies instead of drivers.
“It’s a work in progress,” Elefante said Wednesday. “The most important thing is we have to make sure that there’s safety for the riders.”
Coincidentally, an Uber driver with sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl.
