Seattle Mayor Ed Murray does not like the idea of capping app-based transportation companies like UberX, Sidecar and Lyft. But for now, he seems content with temporary regulations the city is set to enforce.
The City Council will meet next Monday and is expected to approve a regulation that would cap the number of Lyft, UberX or Sidecar (Transportation Network Companies) drivers active at any given time on each system to 150. That means UberX would be allowed 150 drivers at one time during the day or night — same goes for Sidecar and Lyft.
While this has left supporters of both the taxi industry and ride-sharing companies disappointed, the mayor is happy with the proposed law.
In a blog post published Wednesday afternoon, Murray wrote that he does not support caps on TNCs on principle, but “as a short-term measure, I can support a reasonable, temporary cap.”
At a committee meeting this past Thursday, councilmembers were split on whether to cap the number of vehicles on one system at a given time — which allows for an unlimited amount of licensed TNC drivers — or to cap the overall number of TNC drivers in the city altogether. Four councilmembers wanted to set that number of TNC drivers at 400 — meaning, there could only be 400 total drivers between Lyft, Sidecar and UberX.
But the council voted 5-4 for the cap on active drivers for a given TNC — there are no limits on the number of companies allowed — which Murray said today is “more reasonable and more flexible than a cap on the number of drivers.”
Murray, who noted his approval of several adoptions made by the committee on topics like insurance and taxi regulations, encouraged the City Council to reassess the transportation landscape 12 months from now to determine whether or not the 150 cap needs adjustment.
If approved Monday and signed off by Murray, the new regulations would be part of a pilot program, which originally was set to end on June 30, 2016. However, on Thursday, the committee approved an amendment that removed the phrase “sunset on June 30, 2016,” to allow the regulations to stay in place if no action is taken by the City Council.
But, as Murray recommends, councilmembers made it clear that the city will be monitoring this issue closely over the next several months and will make changes as needed. The amendment essentially prevents a scenario where all of this goes back to square one on June 30, 2016.
“We actually don’t want the regulations, if they’re working, to sunset on June 30, 2016,” committee chair Sally Clark said. “We want them to continue.”
Read Murray’s full post here.
Related coverage:
- Nobody is happy with Seattle’s cap on ride-sharing drivers
- House of Cards: Lessons in politics from Seattle’s ride-sharing saga
- Seattle set to cap ride-sharing drivers that are ‘active’ at any given time
- Seattle city leaders sound off on ride-sharing dilemma — who do you agree with?
- Live blog: Seattle City Council votes on controversial regulations for Lyft, UberX, Sidecar
