Seattle’s decision to limit the number of vehicles that UberX, Lyft and Sidecar can have on its roads set off a firestorm on comment boards and social media throughout Monday and into Tuesday.
Much of the reaction was largely negative, with many hoping that Seattle’s city leaders would allow the transportation network companies (TNCs) to operate freely in the city instead of limiting supply.
Wow. Seattle. You've lost your mind. This is how you fall behind in innovation. http://t.co/t7lXCRWjDE
— Aaron Levie (@levie) March 17, 2014
pretty embarrassed to live in #seattle today…i mean, sure, we got weed, we got gay marriage, but we also have this: http://t.co/x0X9olEpf3
— Scott Porad (@scottporad) March 18, 2014
Unbelievably short sighted: Seattle City Council approves 150 car cap on Lyft, UberX, Sidecar drivers: http://t.co/M1MMBhbc0g
— Rachelle Chong (@rachellechong) March 18, 2014
Others applauded the City Council for regulating the companies and enforcing rules that other transportation services like taxis are expected to follow. Here are a few comments from our stories posted on Monday:
From “Just Aguy”:
“The strong arm tactics, the “my way or the highway” approach, lack of transparency, obfuscation and dissembling that Uber has repeatedly engaged in, have become less effective over time. Regulators/lawmakers have become wise to all this and aren’t going to fooled and railroaded anymore!
From “ClaimsAdjuster”:
The Seattle City Council leads the way on regulating TNCS. UberX and Lyft only announced their expansion of their insurance to cover their vehicles from log in to sign out last Friday only because of the upcoming City Council vote. The San Francisco Board Of Supervisors are now looking a the Seattle approach to control the free-for-all in their downtown from 4,000 TNCs flooding their streets.
So, what do you think? Is the City Council’s decision beneficial for Seattle’s citizens? Or is the city wrong for limiting innovation and supply?
Related coverage:
- Seattle City Council approves cap on Lyft, UberX, Sidecar drivers
- Live blog: Seattle City Council votes on controversial regulations for UberX, Lyft, Sidecar
- Breakdown: What the key players are saying about Seattle’s ride-sharing cap
- Hey, Seattle, why stop with ride-sharing? Cap these 10 other innovations while you’re at it
- House of Cars: Lessons in politics from Seattle’s ride-sharing saga