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"disqusTitle": "California Bill Would Enable Uber, Lyft Drivers to Finally Get Insurance",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB2293\" target=\"_blank\">AB2293\u003c/a>, the ride-service insurance bill that passed the California Legislature last week, could pave the way for drivers for companies like Lyft and Uber to finally get coverage for both personal and commercial use of their vehicles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The measure is supported by the insurance industry as well as Uber and Lyft, which fought tooth and nail to squash it until Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla (D-Concord) lowered the amount of coverage required. The legislation calls for the development, by July 1, 2015, of new hybrid policies that would cover drivers for both personal use of their vehicle and TNC (transportation network company) work, and directs the state Department of Insurance to expedite approval of such products.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Jerry Brown, who was involved in the final negotiations over the bill, is expected to sign it into law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Keeping Status a Secret\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ever since we've been covering the ride-service story, we've heard from UberX and Lyft drivers that they don't want to be identified by name because they are \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2013/11/14/can-lyft-uberx-drivers-lose-their-insurance\" target=\"_blank\">afraid their personal auto insurer would cancel their polic\u003c/a>ies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those policies were written with the understanding that the vehicles would be used for everyday use, not operating as a de facto cab.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some in the taxi industry even claimed a wave of insurance cancellations for TNC drivers was on the way. The San Francisco Cab Drivers Association claimed to have compiled a database of thousands of TNC vehicle license plate numbers that it was making available to insurers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though mass cancellations never occurred, at least \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/01/20/ride-sharing-insurance-lyft-uberx-sidecar/\" target=\"_blank\">two cancellations were reported\u003c/a>, and many drivers consider it a fact of life that they have to keep their status as commercial drivers hidden. No one was ever able to find an insurance company who would cover TNC work, with either a personal or a commercial policy. For instance, when we talked to two San Francisco cab drivers who wanted to buy their own cars so they could drive for UberX, \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/01/20/ride-sharing-insurance-lyft-uberx-sidecar/\" target=\"_blank\">they hit a brick wall\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[contextly_sidebar id=\"XHynJJiNGUH70r6uZkbADMMWgKttQBhi\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I couldn’t find anybody who would insure an UberX vehicle,” said longtime cab driver John Han. “When I talked to my personal insurance company ... I said I had just been approved for a car loan but wanted to work for UberX. They said they can’t insure that. You can’t really insure a car as both a personal vehicle and commercial at the same time. The only way I can do UberX would be to lie to my insurance company.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Many insurers don’t know their customers are involved in these kinds of programs,” said Pete Moraga of the Insurance Information Network of California. “If these drivers aren’t telling their insurers, there’s no way for them to know.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Drivers have fared no better trying to get commercial insurance. \"They had never heard of TNCs,” said Luxor cab driver Bill Clark of commercial insurers. Musing about his quest to leave the taxi business and drive for UberX, Clark said, “I could get a brand-new Prius, drive any time I wanted to and just make money. That’s like a dream; too good to be true. In fact, it was too good to be true. You can’t get insurance on them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Policy to be Designed For TNC Drivers\u003cbr>\n\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Well that could very well change, according to Bonilla, sponsor of \u003ca href=\"http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB2293\" target=\"_blank\">AB2293\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignleft\">'This is going to be a brand-new policy for TNC drivers that will cover them for both personal and for their commercial activities.'\n\u003cp>--Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla\u003c/p>\n\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>\"For an innovative business there will be an innovative insurance product,\" said Bonilla. \"It doesn't currently exist now. This is going to be a brand-new policy for TNC drivers that will cover them for both personal and for their commercial activities.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Armand Feliciano, vice president for the Association of California Insurance Companies, said he's confident insurers will create the new policies by the July 1, 2015, deadline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I know of at least one company that’s been actively working with Lyft on a product,\" he said. \"This is something (companies) want to write, they are interested in writing. It’s a challenge here in California; we have Proposition 103 and the factors for personal auto are pretty limited: mileage driven and experience. If you extrapolate a little bit from that, how do you figure out a guy that may turn (the app) on for a good two hours a day? He goes in and out from personal to commercial. There are challenges trying to assess the risk, but there’s definitely an incentive for companies ... to provide the product.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While those who dislike hiding their TNC status from insurers may welcome coverage written specifically for their occupation, they may find it is going to add to the cost of doing business, a cost that was invisible to them because it was not factored into their personal policies. The coverage is almost certainly going to be more expensive than plain personal insurance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"That’s a valid assumption,\" Feliciano said. \"When you turn on that app, it’s our position that you do engage in a rather riskier behavior. You are going to places like a beerfest, or you may be driving a little faster because you want to catch that fare. So that risk is going to be a little higher, and therefore it’s going to be priced differently.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Closing an Insurance Gap\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bill also stipulates TNC drivers must be insured during the time they have their app open but have yet to accept a call (known as Period 1 in the biz). The coverage during this period must be at least $50,000 per individual, $100,000 total per incident for bodily injury, and $30,000 for property damage. An additional $200,000 in excess coverage is required.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Insurance coverage during Period 1 became a very big deal on Dec. 31, 2013, when UberX driver Syed Muzaffar ran into a family in a San Francisco crosswalk, killing 6-year-old Sofia Liu and seriously injuring her mother and brother just before 8 p.m. It soon emerged that Uber did not consider Muzzafar to be insured under its state-mandated $1 million liability policy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although Muzaffar had his app open and was awaiting a call, Uber said, he had yet to actually accept a fare and was thus not yet engaged in \"providing TNC services,\" the point at which the California Public Utilities Commission requires TNC insurance to kick in. Uber's narrow definition of when TNC services began relegated coverage of the fatal accident to Muzaffar's personal insurance, which provided only a fraction of the amount to cover costs that could hit seven figures. (Sofia Liu's family is suing Uber over the incident.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In March, in the wake of negative press coverage over the issue, as well as \u003ca href=\"http://www.insurance.ca.gov/0250-insurers/0300-insurers/0200-bulletins/bulletin-notices-commiss-opinion/TransNetwkDrvrs.cfm\" target=\"_blank\">warnings from various state governments\u003c/a> -- including California's Department of Insurance about insurance gaps inherent in driving for TNCs -- Uber and Lyft \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/03/14/uber-lyft-insurance/\" target=\"_blank\">expanded their insurance\u003c/a>, including coverage for Period 1. That coverage, however, was significantly lower than it was for the post-Period 1 time, when drivers are on a call.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And as the CPUC floated a proposal to require TNCs to extend their $1 million insurance to Period 1, Uber and Lyft argued against it, claiming that interval is fraught with ambiguity: What if a driver isn't really working and just turns the app on in order to qualify for the insurance? What if a driver who uses apps from different TNCs gets into an accident? Which company would have to cover that?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the face of of Uber and Lyft's resistance, both AB2293 and the CPUC's proposal came down significantly in terms of the final amount of coverage for Period 1.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Drivers also take note: AB2293 says either TNCs or drivers can pay for Period 1 coverage -- it doesn't have to come from the companies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"That could become a point of competitiveness in terms of attracting drivers, the decision of who will pay what,\" said Bonilla.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I asked Uber who would pay for the new insurance, the driver or the company? Spokeswoman Eva Behrend did not answer the question directly, but said, \"The legislation does not take effect until July 2015 and intentionally leaves the option open for either the driver or the TNC to carry the insurance. This gives the insurance industry time to develop a hybrid product.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Clarity: Personal Insurance Does Not Cover TNC Accidents\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_105050\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-105050\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2013/07/UberCar.jpg\" alt=\"Uber car\" width=\"300\" height=\"175\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An Uber car drives in San Francisco. (Adam Fagen/Flickr)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>AB2293 also clears up once and for all that personal insurance will not cover TNC accidents. As noted, Uber and Lyft do currently provide insurance that covers Period 1. But that coverage is contingent on \"a driver’s personal insurance policy (being) found not to cover an accident during this period.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Department of Insurance, insurance companies and TNC opponents such as the taxi industry scoffed at this qualification, taking the position that the TNCs' reliance on personal insurance to cover a commercial activity was based on a fiction, contingent on the erroneous view that drivers’ personal insurers would pay claims for individuals who drive commercially for TNCs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Insurers say this shifts the cost of covering commercial activity by TNCs onto the personal insurance market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>AB2293 makes it clear that a driver's personal insurance will have no responsibility for covering TNC accidents, unless that insurance has been \"specifically written to cover the driver's use of a vehicle in connection with a transportation network company's online-enabled application or platform.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>CPUC Could Require More Coverage (But it Doesn't Look Likely)\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The latest proposal on TNC insurance by the California Public Utilities Commission calls for slightly greater amounts of Period 1 coverage than does AB2293. The plan calls for at least $100,000 per individual and $300,000 total per incident for bodily injury and $50,000 for property damage, in an excess insurance policy, instead of AB2293's 50,000/100,000/30,000 coverage. The commission next meets on Sept. 11 and could vote on the proposal then.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bonilla said there is nothing in her bill that would preclude the CPUC from requiring greater amounts and even additional types of coverage than are specified in AB2293; the amounts written into the bill are minimums. The CPUC, however, appears to be moving in the opposite direction. While a provision of AB2293 requires at least $1 million in uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage for TNCs, the latest CPUC proposal does not. (AB 2293's stipulations would supercede the CPUC on this.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Previous versions of the proposal from the CPUC required collision, comprehensive, and medical payments coverage from TNCs. Those requirements have been dropped, with the commission writing that, \"We are concerned ... that imposing these additional coverage requirements may make it difficult for TNCs to satisfy these requirements through the existing insurance market, thus inhibiting the creative environment that has allowed the TNC industry to flourish in California for the benefit of California residents who wish to avail themselves of TNC services.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since AB2293 does not require collision, comprehensive or medical payments, these appear to be off the table for now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both Uber and Lyft, however, do offer some of these coverages. Uber and Lyft currently offer comprehensive and collision coverage, but only if drivers have purchased similar coverage on their personal policies. (And they do not offer this coverage for Period 1.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber said it has no plans to drop this coverage. Lyft did not respond to a request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Not Everyone Happy\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the insurance industry, Uber and Lyft, and Bonilla all hailed the legislation's passage, which was the subject of some \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/matier-ross/article/Uber-takes-turn-toward-old-school-politics-5725738.php\">hardball political tactics by Uber\u003c/a>, not everyone is on board. Bonilla's original proposal called for $750,000 in liability coverage for Period 1, considerably more than what finally got passed. Sen. Bill Monning (D-Carmel), chairman of the Senate Insurance Committee, was quoted as saying the bill, sold as a compromise, \"compromises the public health and safety.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bonilla said she wished she could have gotten more through. \"I would have rather had a higher number,\" she told me. \"My author’s amendments on Monday put the number at $500,000, and I believe I could have moved the bill. The problem is we didn’t have agreement from the administration, and it took negotiation to make the governor feel comfortable. As you know, it’s not enough to get a bill to the governor's desk; it’s his signature.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for the taxi industry, its preferred bill, AB612, which would have basically treated TNC vehicles like cabs in terms of insurance and safety requirements, died a quiet death in committee.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "A new state measure calls for a hybrid personal/commercial policy to be offered to ride-service drivers.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB2293\" target=\"_blank\">AB2293\u003c/a>, the ride-service insurance bill that passed the California Legislature last week, could pave the way for drivers for companies like Lyft and Uber to finally get coverage for both personal and commercial use of their vehicles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The measure is supported by the insurance industry as well as Uber and Lyft, which fought tooth and nail to squash it until Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla (D-Concord) lowered the amount of coverage required. The legislation calls for the development, by July 1, 2015, of new hybrid policies that would cover drivers for both personal use of their vehicle and TNC (transportation network company) work, and directs the state Department of Insurance to expedite approval of such products.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Jerry Brown, who was involved in the final negotiations over the bill, is expected to sign it into law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Keeping Status a Secret\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ever since we've been covering the ride-service story, we've heard from UberX and Lyft drivers that they don't want to be identified by name because they are \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2013/11/14/can-lyft-uberx-drivers-lose-their-insurance\" target=\"_blank\">afraid their personal auto insurer would cancel their polic\u003c/a>ies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those policies were written with the understanding that the vehicles would be used for everyday use, not operating as a de facto cab.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some in the taxi industry even claimed a wave of insurance cancellations for TNC drivers was on the way. The San Francisco Cab Drivers Association claimed to have compiled a database of thousands of TNC vehicle license plate numbers that it was making available to insurers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though mass cancellations never occurred, at least \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/01/20/ride-sharing-insurance-lyft-uberx-sidecar/\" target=\"_blank\">two cancellations were reported\u003c/a>, and many drivers consider it a fact of life that they have to keep their status as commercial drivers hidden. No one was ever able to find an insurance company who would cover TNC work, with either a personal or a commercial policy. For instance, when we talked to two San Francisco cab drivers who wanted to buy their own cars so they could drive for UberX, \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/01/20/ride-sharing-insurance-lyft-uberx-sidecar/\" target=\"_blank\">they hit a brick wall\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I couldn’t find anybody who would insure an UberX vehicle,” said longtime cab driver John Han. “When I talked to my personal insurance company ... I said I had just been approved for a car loan but wanted to work for UberX. They said they can’t insure that. You can’t really insure a car as both a personal vehicle and commercial at the same time. The only way I can do UberX would be to lie to my insurance company.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Many insurers don’t know their customers are involved in these kinds of programs,” said Pete Moraga of the Insurance Information Network of California. “If these drivers aren’t telling their insurers, there’s no way for them to know.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Drivers have fared no better trying to get commercial insurance. \"They had never heard of TNCs,” said Luxor cab driver Bill Clark of commercial insurers. Musing about his quest to leave the taxi business and drive for UberX, Clark said, “I could get a brand-new Prius, drive any time I wanted to and just make money. That’s like a dream; too good to be true. In fact, it was too good to be true. You can’t get insurance on them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Policy to be Designed For TNC Drivers\u003cbr>\n\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Well that could very well change, according to Bonilla, sponsor of \u003ca href=\"http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB2293\" target=\"_blank\">AB2293\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignleft\">'This is going to be a brand-new policy for TNC drivers that will cover them for both personal and for their commercial activities.'\n\u003cp>--Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla\u003c/p>\n\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>\"For an innovative business there will be an innovative insurance product,\" said Bonilla. \"It doesn't currently exist now. This is going to be a brand-new policy for TNC drivers that will cover them for both personal and for their commercial activities.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Armand Feliciano, vice president for the Association of California Insurance Companies, said he's confident insurers will create the new policies by the July 1, 2015, deadline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I know of at least one company that’s been actively working with Lyft on a product,\" he said. \"This is something (companies) want to write, they are interested in writing. It’s a challenge here in California; we have Proposition 103 and the factors for personal auto are pretty limited: mileage driven and experience. If you extrapolate a little bit from that, how do you figure out a guy that may turn (the app) on for a good two hours a day? He goes in and out from personal to commercial. There are challenges trying to assess the risk, but there’s definitely an incentive for companies ... to provide the product.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While those who dislike hiding their TNC status from insurers may welcome coverage written specifically for their occupation, they may find it is going to add to the cost of doing business, a cost that was invisible to them because it was not factored into their personal policies. The coverage is almost certainly going to be more expensive than plain personal insurance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"That’s a valid assumption,\" Feliciano said. \"When you turn on that app, it’s our position that you do engage in a rather riskier behavior. You are going to places like a beerfest, or you may be driving a little faster because you want to catch that fare. So that risk is going to be a little higher, and therefore it’s going to be priced differently.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Closing an Insurance Gap\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bill also stipulates TNC drivers must be insured during the time they have their app open but have yet to accept a call (known as Period 1 in the biz). The coverage during this period must be at least $50,000 per individual, $100,000 total per incident for bodily injury, and $30,000 for property damage. An additional $200,000 in excess coverage is required.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Insurance coverage during Period 1 became a very big deal on Dec. 31, 2013, when UberX driver Syed Muzaffar ran into a family in a San Francisco crosswalk, killing 6-year-old Sofia Liu and seriously injuring her mother and brother just before 8 p.m. It soon emerged that Uber did not consider Muzzafar to be insured under its state-mandated $1 million liability policy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although Muzaffar had his app open and was awaiting a call, Uber said, he had yet to actually accept a fare and was thus not yet engaged in \"providing TNC services,\" the point at which the California Public Utilities Commission requires TNC insurance to kick in. Uber's narrow definition of when TNC services began relegated coverage of the fatal accident to Muzaffar's personal insurance, which provided only a fraction of the amount to cover costs that could hit seven figures. (Sofia Liu's family is suing Uber over the incident.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In March, in the wake of negative press coverage over the issue, as well as \u003ca href=\"http://www.insurance.ca.gov/0250-insurers/0300-insurers/0200-bulletins/bulletin-notices-commiss-opinion/TransNetwkDrvrs.cfm\" target=\"_blank\">warnings from various state governments\u003c/a> -- including California's Department of Insurance about insurance gaps inherent in driving for TNCs -- Uber and Lyft \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/03/14/uber-lyft-insurance/\" target=\"_blank\">expanded their insurance\u003c/a>, including coverage for Period 1. That coverage, however, was significantly lower than it was for the post-Period 1 time, when drivers are on a call.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And as the CPUC floated a proposal to require TNCs to extend their $1 million insurance to Period 1, Uber and Lyft argued against it, claiming that interval is fraught with ambiguity: What if a driver isn't really working and just turns the app on in order to qualify for the insurance? What if a driver who uses apps from different TNCs gets into an accident? Which company would have to cover that?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the face of of Uber and Lyft's resistance, both AB2293 and the CPUC's proposal came down significantly in terms of the final amount of coverage for Period 1.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Drivers also take note: AB2293 says either TNCs or drivers can pay for Period 1 coverage -- it doesn't have to come from the companies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"That could become a point of competitiveness in terms of attracting drivers, the decision of who will pay what,\" said Bonilla.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I asked Uber who would pay for the new insurance, the driver or the company? Spokeswoman Eva Behrend did not answer the question directly, but said, \"The legislation does not take effect until July 2015 and intentionally leaves the option open for either the driver or the TNC to carry the insurance. This gives the insurance industry time to develop a hybrid product.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Clarity: Personal Insurance Does Not Cover TNC Accidents\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_105050\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-105050\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2013/07/UberCar.jpg\" alt=\"Uber car\" width=\"300\" height=\"175\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An Uber car drives in San Francisco. (Adam Fagen/Flickr)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>AB2293 also clears up once and for all that personal insurance will not cover TNC accidents. As noted, Uber and Lyft do currently provide insurance that covers Period 1. But that coverage is contingent on \"a driver’s personal insurance policy (being) found not to cover an accident during this period.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Department of Insurance, insurance companies and TNC opponents such as the taxi industry scoffed at this qualification, taking the position that the TNCs' reliance on personal insurance to cover a commercial activity was based on a fiction, contingent on the erroneous view that drivers’ personal insurers would pay claims for individuals who drive commercially for TNCs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Insurers say this shifts the cost of covering commercial activity by TNCs onto the personal insurance market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>AB2293 makes it clear that a driver's personal insurance will have no responsibility for covering TNC accidents, unless that insurance has been \"specifically written to cover the driver's use of a vehicle in connection with a transportation network company's online-enabled application or platform.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>CPUC Could Require More Coverage (But it Doesn't Look Likely)\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The latest proposal on TNC insurance by the California Public Utilities Commission calls for slightly greater amounts of Period 1 coverage than does AB2293. The plan calls for at least $100,000 per individual and $300,000 total per incident for bodily injury and $50,000 for property damage, in an excess insurance policy, instead of AB2293's 50,000/100,000/30,000 coverage. The commission next meets on Sept. 11 and could vote on the proposal then.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bonilla said there is nothing in her bill that would preclude the CPUC from requiring greater amounts and even additional types of coverage than are specified in AB2293; the amounts written into the bill are minimums. The CPUC, however, appears to be moving in the opposite direction. While a provision of AB2293 requires at least $1 million in uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage for TNCs, the latest CPUC proposal does not. (AB 2293's stipulations would supercede the CPUC on this.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Previous versions of the proposal from the CPUC required collision, comprehensive, and medical payments coverage from TNCs. Those requirements have been dropped, with the commission writing that, \"We are concerned ... that imposing these additional coverage requirements may make it difficult for TNCs to satisfy these requirements through the existing insurance market, thus inhibiting the creative environment that has allowed the TNC industry to flourish in California for the benefit of California residents who wish to avail themselves of TNC services.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since AB2293 does not require collision, comprehensive or medical payments, these appear to be off the table for now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both Uber and Lyft, however, do offer some of these coverages. Uber and Lyft currently offer comprehensive and collision coverage, but only if drivers have purchased similar coverage on their personal policies. (And they do not offer this coverage for Period 1.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber said it has no plans to drop this coverage. Lyft did not respond to a request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Not Everyone Happy\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the insurance industry, Uber and Lyft, and Bonilla all hailed the legislation's passage, which was the subject of some \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/matier-ross/article/Uber-takes-turn-toward-old-school-politics-5725738.php\">hardball political tactics by Uber\u003c/a>, not everyone is on board. Bonilla's original proposal called for $750,000 in liability coverage for Period 1, considerably more than what finally got passed. Sen. Bill Monning (D-Carmel), chairman of the Senate Insurance Committee, was quoted as saying the bill, sold as a compromise, \"compromises the public health and safety.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bonilla said she wished she could have gotten more through. \"I would have rather had a higher number,\" she told me. \"My author’s amendments on Monday put the number at $500,000, and I believe I could have moved the bill. The problem is we didn’t have agreement from the administration, and it took negotiation to make the governor feel comfortable. As you know, it’s not enough to get a bill to the governor's desk; it’s his signature.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for the taxi industry, its preferred bill, AB612, which would have basically treated TNC vehicles like cabs in terms of insurance and safety requirements, died a quiet death in committee.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"disqusTitle": "Around the U.S., Taxis, Regulators, Insurers Having Fits Over Uber and Lyft",
"title": "Around the U.S., Taxis, Regulators, Insurers Having Fits Over Uber and Lyft",
"headTitle": "News Fix | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_118106\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-118106\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/11/uber.jpg\" alt=\"Local regulators have been unsuccessful in gaining access to TNCs excess liability insurance policies. (Adam Fagen/Flickr)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Uber car. (Adam Fagen/Flickr)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Uber has been so successful in supplanting taxis that fear and loathing of the San Francisco-based company united cab drivers across Europe last week — even amid the nationalistic fervor of the World Cup. Tens of thousands of drivers in London, Paris and Berlin, among other cities, \u003ca href=\"http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-06-10/uber-protests-spread-across-europe-as-taxi-app-backlash-grows.html\" target=\"_blank\">snarled traffic in some of the densest thoroughfares on the continent\u003c/a>, all in protest of the company that in varying degrees has eaten their dejeuner, almuerzo and lunch in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.uber.com/cities\" target=\"_blank\">128 cities\u003c/a> around the world in which it has set up shop.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignleft\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/06/19/2014/uber-lyft-regulations#updates\">Click here for city-by-city Uber and Lyft updates\u003c/a>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>And what a feast it’s been. On June 6, Uber announced it had raised an additional $1.2 billion in investment capital to \u003ca href=\"http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/06/06/uber-raises-new-funds-at-17-billion-valuation/?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Ar\" target=\"_blank\">up its valuation to $18.2 billion\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"You’re worth more than Whole Foods, you’re worth more than Tiffany and company,” a CNBC anchor breathlessly informed Uber CEO Travis Kalanick during an \u003ca href=\"http://nyti.ms/1xl7GNP\" target=\"_blank\">interview after the announcement\u003c/a>. Kalanick replied that Uber is actually undervalued. (\u003ca href=\"http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/uber-isnt-worth-17-billion/\" target=\"_blank\">Others\u003c/a>, meanwhile, think the $18.2 billion number is \u003ca href=\"http://www.cnbc.com/id/101762832\" target=\"_blank\">way too big\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Locally, Uber has become a major employer in San Francisco. The company says it has 500 people working at its headquarters in the city. That's in addition to all the drivers now earning a living by connecting with passengers through Uber's app. One group not seeing the benefits of this expansion: taxi companies and the drivers who have yet to switch over to Uber or Lyft, a smaller yet growing rival also based in San Francisco. The city's taxi business is off so much that the owner of DeSoto Cab Co., Hansu Kim, said this month that the industry's survival is threatened.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I say the taxi industry may not survive 18 months or so, I’m seeing a situation where those who drove a taxicab in the past are now taking their personal cars and acting like a cab on their own,” \u003ca href=\"http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2014/06/06/san-francisco-desoto-taxi-cab-company-ceo-industry-may-not-survive-the-next-18-months-uber-lyft-sidecar-rideshare/\" target=\"_blank\">he told KPIX\u003c/a>.[contextly_sidebar id=\"9d82bd6a2861e18413921054fbc2998c\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet for all the rapid success of Uber and Lyft, which the state of California calls transportation network companies, or TNCs, there is also a growing resistance to their operations by regulators and insurers across the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both the California Department of Insurance and Public Utilities Commission, which regulates TNCs, have sided with the insurance industry's assessment that current cheaper excess coverage the companies offer to protect drivers and passengers is based on a fictional belief that a driver's personal insurer will tolerate paying claims for individuals who drive commercially.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every other business in California has to have insurance to cover their activities,\" said Mark Sektnan, president of the Association of California Insurance Companies. \"Why is this business any different?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both the utilities commission and the state Legislature are now \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/06/17/2014/Uber-Lyft-Insurance-crack-down\" target=\"_blank\">considering proposals to toughen TNC insurance requirements\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As you'll see in our roundup below, California is far from the only state where Uber and Lyft are coming under regulatory, legislative or legal pressure. The novelty of a business model that has encouraged thousands of everyday drivers to hit the road in their own vehicles in quest of paying passengers has taken the system of transportation oversight, developed over decades, by almost complete surprise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This has resulted in a fair amount of confusion and conflict, including lawsuits, protests, fines and threats. What is also notable is the willingness by Uber and Lyft to openly defy local authorities who have determined the companies are operating illegally.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>How it all shakes out will determine just how large this innovative industry becomes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Regulatory overhang is obviously something investors and (Uber) need to be mindful of,\" said Anand Sanwal, CEO of CB Insights, which tracks high-growth private companies. \"It seems, at least to date, they’ve figured out ways to operate in markets they’ve wanted to in compliance with these issues, or they’re paying fines with the view that this legislation will be overturned or public outcry will make it go away. Obviously, investors feel that way too. But Uber does have regulatory risks.\"\u003ca name=\"updates\">\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are what various media are reporting about the road wars around the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Albuquerque\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/blog/morning-edition/2014/06/prc-keeps-meter-running-on-ridesharing-hearing.html\" target=\"_blank\">PRC Keeps Meter Running on Ridesharing Hearing\u003c/a> (Albuquerque Business First): The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission on Wednesday decided not to immediately hear a case relating to letting the ridesharing service Uber operate in New Mexico. At the PRC hearing, the commission also heard testimony about the similar service, Lyft, said Commissioner Valerie Espinoza. Both services started operating in Albuquerque in late April. The two services contend that they’re not taxi cab services, and as such shouldn’t have to abide by the same laws as taxi cabs. But, the services are similar enough that the PRC has launched investigations into both. Some have questions about the services’ legality, said Commissioner Karen Montoya on Wednesday. The issues will be put on next Wednesday’s PRC agenda.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ann Arbor\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://annarborchronicle.com/2014/05/25/taxicab-board-considers-rates-drivers/\" target=\"_blank\">Taxicab Board Considers Rates, Drivers\u003c/a> (Ann Arbor Chronicle): Two topics addressed by the board at its April 23, 2014 meeting received additional conversation this month. First, the board discussed the possibility of deregulating taxicab fares, or setting them at a much higher maximum. The board also continued discussing whether to recommend that the city council enact an ordinance to regulate all drivers for hire – taxicab drivers, limo drivers, as well as those who drive for Uber and Lyft.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Austin\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2014-06-13/uber-stakes-its-austin-claim/\" target=\"_blank\">Uber stakes Its Austin Claim\u003c/a> (Austin Chronicle): ... Both Lyft and Uber have indicated repeatedly that they're excited to be working with the city on bringing TNCs to Austin, but the two companies' arrivals run in direct contrast to requests from the City Council, which has essentially asked for a bit more time – perhaps even seven months – to figure the whole TNC system out, during which time TNCs are not allowed to take payment for rides. The city, meanwhile, has received informal accusations of entrapment from Lyft, which claims that city staffers have engaged in sting operations to nab violators. In one case, Lyft alleges, a staffer \"purposely left cash behind.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Baltimore\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://technical.ly/baltimore/2014/06/09/uber-appeals-april-psc-ruling/\" target=\"_blank\">Uber appeals Public Service Commission Ruling\u003c/a> (Technical.ly): Uber has appealed an April Maryland Public Service Commission ruling that classified it as a common carrier, company officials announced Monday. In the \u003ca href=\"http://webapp.psc.state.md.us/Intranet/Maillog/submit_new.cfm?MaillogPath=155796&DirPath=C:%5CCasenum%5CAdmin%20Filings%5C110000-159999%5C155796&maillognum=155796\" target=\"_blank\">appeal\u003c/a>, filed Friday, Uber officials claim that Uber is not a public service company and the commission does not have the authority to regulate it. It contends that Uber owns no vehicles used to transport passengers and does not itself transport passengers for money. ... Uber, which \u003ca href=\"http://technical.ly/baltimore/2014/05/23/uber-annapolis-launch/\" target=\"_blank\">launched service in Annapolis\u003c/a> in May, entered the Baltimore market last year. A bill \u003ca href=\"http://technical.ly/baltimore/2014/03/11/uber-ridesharing-case-9325/\" target=\"_blank\">that would have exempted\u003c/a> Uber and competitor Lyft from common carrier regulations \u003ca href=\"http://technical.ly/baltimore/2014/04/09/bill-exempt-uber-lyft-common-carrier-status-fails-pass/\" target=\"_blank\">failed to pass\u003c/a> in the 2014 General Assembly session.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Uber launched a \u003ca href=\"http://technical.ly/baltimore/2014/06/19/uber-driver-video-psc-appeal/\" target=\"_blank\">PR push\u003c/a> following its appeal.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Boston\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.boston.com/business/technology/2014/05/22/boston-taxi-drivers-hold-rally-shut-down-uber/5fLnhOEWls556Cmg6zyaAL/story.html\" target=\"_blank\">Boston Taxi Drivers Hold Rally to Shut Down Uber \u003c/a>(Boston.com): The Boston Taxi Driver’s Association held a “rolling rally” at Uber’s Boston headquarters this afternoon in order to compel city officials to shut down the app until its drivers can be regulated. The demonstration took place at 186 South Street in Boston’s Leather District from 2 to 3 p.m. The organization represents more than 1,400 cab drivers and is arguing that an unregulated taxi service like Uber poses a serious public safety threat because drivers are not vetted by the city before they are allowed to pick up fares.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cambridge\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.boston.com/business/technology/2014/06/17/cambridge-licensing-board-signals-willingness-work-with-uber/iOtCaBhI96178xsQmbj8KL/story.html\" target=\"_blank\">Cambridge Licensing Board Signals Willingness to Work With Uber\u003c/a> (Boston.com): Uber users, as well as some opponents of the popular ride-calling service, showed up in droves in Cambridge Tuesday night to clash over proposed regulations that Uber said would cause it to cease operations in the city. But by the time the meeting started, some of the tension between the city and the company that had built early this week appeared to have simmered. The proposed regulations would have required companies offering services like Uber’s, and drivers for those companies, to become licensed with the city. It also would have not allowed technology not approved by the city — like Uber’s and its competitor Lyft’s — to be used in any livery service, would have set a minimum price for any ride at $50, and would have banned other elements of Uber’s business model. The commission did not vote on the proposed regulations. It had said there would not be a vote at the meeting earlier in the day. During the meeting, License Commission chair Andrea Spears Jackson said those proposed rules “would not be passed,” and predicted that multiple additional hearings would follow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Chicago\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://politics.suntimes.com/article/chicago/new-ridesharing-rules-okd-taxi-industry-upset-emanuels-plan/wed-05282014-1122am\" target=\"_blank\">New ridesharing rules OK'd; taxi industry upset by Emanuel's plan\u003c/a> (Chicago Sun-Times): A divided City Council on Wednesday approved Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s plan to fill the regulatory vacuum that has allowed ridesharing companies to siphon business from taxicabs amid warnings that it’s so weak as to render costly taxi medallions “worthless.” The ridesharing industry, whose investors include the mayor’s brother, was pleased with the ordinance approved by a 34-10 vote. The taxicab industry, its City Council allies and a union representing cabdrivers was not.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>A local municipal workers union \u003ca href=\"http://politics.suntimes.com/article/chicago/emanuels-taxi-reforms-cost-average-cabdriver-7500-study/wed-06112014-1237pm\" target=\"_blank\">says Emanuel's plan costs the average cab driver $7,500\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Connecticut\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-05-22/uber-lyft-face-racketeering-lawsuit-by-connecticut-cab-groups.html\" target=\"_blank\">Uber, Lyft Accused of Racketeering in Connecticut Suit\u003c/a> (Bloomberg): Ride-sharing services Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. were accused of racketeering in a lawsuit by Connecticut taxi and livery firms, which said the companies “prey parasitically” on established services. The services, operating without proper licenses, “cut corners illegally” and undermine “critical safety provisions of Connecticut taxi and livery laws,” the taxi companies said in a complaint filed yesterday in New Haven federal court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Denver\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_25907057/colorado-first-authorize-lyft-and-ubers-ridesharing-services\" target=\"_blank\">Colorado first to authorize Lyft and Uber's ridesharing services\u003c/a> (Denver Post): Gov. John Hickenlooper on Thursday signed into law \u003ca href=\"http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_25661374/colorado-likely-first-legislatively-authorize-ride-share-services\" target=\"_blank\">a bill that officially authorizes ride-sharing services\u003c/a>, making Colorado the first state to legislatively embrace disruptive transportation offerings from upstarts such as Uber Technologies and Lyft. ... He called for Colorado regulators to review rules placed on taxis and limos, questioning whether they're still appropriate or necessary with the advent of so-called transportation network companies like Lyft and Uber. Throughout the legislative process, taxi officials had argued ride-sharing companies have unfair advantages because they don't face similar regulations as cabbies, such as rate, coverage area and insurance requirements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Hampton Roads, Va.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/state-regional/uber-says-it-will-operate-despite-dmv-s-cease-and/article_216140ee-eda3-11e3-8d40-0017a43b2370.html\" target=\"_blank\">Uber says it will operate despite DMV's 'cease and desist' order\u003c/a> (Hampton Roads Daily Press): The car ride services Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. said Friday that they plan to operate as usual in the state, despite cease-and-desist letters from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. The DMV on Thursday ordered Uber and Lyft, taxilike service companies, to stop operating in Virginia in violation of state law and said unauthorized drivers could face penalties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Houston\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/blog/nuts-and-bolts/2014/06/uber-and-lyft-still-in-limbo-in-houston.html\" target=\"_blank\">Uber and Lyft still in limbo in Houston\u003c/a> (Houston Business Journal): The Houston City Council delayed a vote until July 30 on regulations for the vehicles-for-hire industry, keeping UberTechnologies Inc. and Lyft Inc.'s legal status in Houston in limbo. Council member Mike Laster proposed an initial delay of 60 days, saying, \"I believe this cake is not fully baked.\" The delay was then reduced to 45 days. ... The vote is now scheduled for July 30, or until a consensus is met by all the stakeholders involved in negotiations. Several council members, including C.O. “Brad” Bradford, didn’t feel the delay was necessary and asked for the vote to take place sooner rather than later.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Kansas City\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2014/06/16/kansas-city-mayor-uber-legal.html\" target=\"_blank\">James: Uber is now legal in Kansas City\u003c/a> (Kansas City Business Journal): Uber Technologies Inc. is now operating inside the law in Kansas City. Late on Saturday night, Mayor \u003ca href=\"http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/search/results?q=Sly%20James\" target=\"_blank\">Sly James\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MayorSlyJames/status/478061431426793473\" target=\"_blank\">tweeted\u003c/a> that the San Francisco-based ride-sharing company is now operating \"legally and in compliance\" in the city. Joni Wickham, a spokeswoman for the mayor's office, said the Mayor's tweet was in reference to the fact that Uber is not charging for their services. Until they charge for their services, they are legally operating. She said that Uber is working with city staff to to go through the process to get a permit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Las Vegas\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/traffic-transportation/nevada-officials-warn-about-insurance-ride-sharing-programs\" title=\"Nevada officials warn about insurance in ride sharing programs\" target=\"_blank\">Nevada officials warn about insurance in ride sharing programs\u003c/a> (Las Vegas Review Journal):\u003cbr>\nThe state’s Division of Insurance is warning the public that it could be at risk when accepting a ride with a ride-sharing company. The Nevada Division of Insurance issued a release suggesting that people confirm that a driver has commercial car insurance before accepting a ride with companies such as Uber, Lyft and Sidecar. San Francisco-based Uber is looking to enter the Las Vegas market and has advertised for drivers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The announcement came less than two weeks after managers of Southern Nevada's largest taxi group \u003ca href=\"http://www.reviewjournal.com/business/tourism/las-vegas-cab-company-makes-uber-threat\" target=\"_blank\">posted a memorandum to employees\u003c/a>, warning them of the consequences of going to work for a mobile application rideshare company, according to the Review Journal.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Los Angeles\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2014/06/10/councilmembers-taxi-drivers-to-protest-ridesharing-apps-like-uber-at-city-hall/\" target=\"_blank\">Councilmembers, Taxi Drivers Protest Ridesharing Apps At City Hall\u003c/a> (CBS Los Angeles): Hundreds of taxicab drivers descended on the steps of City Hall Tuesday morning to protest popular ridesharing apps. The drivers were joined by councilmembers Paul Koretz and Gil Cedillo to protest unregulated and unrestricted taxi apps such as Uber, Lyft and Sidecar. Demonstrators said drivers of so-called “bandit cabs” do not have to pass background checks using fingerprints or have their vehicles inspected for safety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Milwaukee\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/milwaukee-aldermen-to-consider-transforming-taxi-landscape-b99294012z1-263652731.html\" target=\"_blank\">Milwaukee Common Council panel backs taxi proposal\u003c/a> (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel): By a 3-0 vote, members of the city's Public Works Committee on Wednesday sent to the Common Council a proposed ordinance that revamps the way taxis operate in Milwaukee. In addition to doing away with a cap on the number of taxicab permits, the proposal also makes room for new technology-based smartphone apps such as Uber and Lyft in which riders are matched with drivers. Those new services have been operating for months in the city, though council members say they are currently operating in violation of current ordinances .... After (Uber and Lyft) began offering rides, some council members...pivoted and began to push for an unfettered free enterprise system for public passenger vehicles. They have since been joined by the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce. Steve Baas, MMAC's vice president for governmental affairs, said the pro-business group favored wider transportation options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Miami\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/10/usa-florida-taxis-idUSL2N0OQ25M20140610\" target=\"_blank\">Authorities clamp down on ride-sharing services in Miami\u003c/a> (Reuters): Miami-Dade County officials have refused to license drivers for Lyft and Uber, a similar service, arguing the driver-owned vehicles should comply with the same regulations as taxi companies. Lyft and Uber, however, argue they are different, describing themselves as technology companies that provide mobile applications connecting private drivers with passenger. ... Lyft and Uber launched in Miami last month despite the risk of heavy fines and after an unsuccessful two-year lobbying effort to persuade Miami lawmakers to change the regulations. Since then, the county has impounded three cars and fined eight drivers as much as $2,000, according to Raul Gonzalez, an official with Miami-Dade County's regulatory and economic resources department. Police in Miami have posed as riders and then issued fines to the drivers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Minneapolis\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2014/05/despite_commerce_department_warning_jacob_frey_says_uberlyft_ordinance_still_on_its_way.php\" target=\"_blank\">Despite Commerce Department warning, Jacob Frey says Uber/Lyft ordinance still on its way\u003c/a> (Minneapolis City Pages): A few weeks ago, the Minnesota Commerce Department issued a warning to folks considering using so-called \"transportation network companies\" like Lyft or Uber. \"The Commerce Department wants Minnesotans to know that there may be gaps in auto insurance coverage for both the drivers and passengers using TNCs,\" the department said in a statement. \"There may not be coverage for an accident because most personal auto insurance policies contain exclusions when drivers use their personal cars for a commercial (business) purpose. For example, if you participate in a regular, non-business car pool, you would be covered. If you charge passengers a fee, you may not be covered if you get into an accident. ... But Jacob Frey, the Minneapolis City Council member who is taking the lead in drawing up an ordinance to regulate currently unregulated TNC companies doesn't think the Commerce Department's warning is a big deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nashville\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://nashvillepublicradio.org/blog/2014/06/13/ridesharing-services-like-lyft-uber-will-face-new-regulations-end-summer/\">Ridesharing Services Like Lyft and Uber Will Face New Regulations By End of Summer\u003c/a> (Nashville Public Radio): Popular ridesharing services like Lyft and Uber may soon be coming under new regulations. Billy Fields, who leads the city’s Transportation and Licensing Commission, said companies like Lyft and Uber are considered “drivers for hire,” not taxis. And under that title, they need to have a permit and be working for a licensed company. Under Nashville’s current law, Lyft and Uber are technically illegal. ... Metro Police could not say how many tickets have been issued to drivers. By the end of the summer, Fields said he will go in front of Metro Council to ask that a new law be written. It’ll require that rideshare companies have special licenses, inspections and the same insurance taxi drivers are required to have.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>New Jersey\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.cnbc.com/id/101732424\" target=\"_blank\">Uber a risky ride for passengers, states warn\u003c/a> (CNBC): Uber is under siege. It's not from a rival company, such as Lyft or Sidecar, because they may be in the same boat. It's from states that are warning passengers they may not be covered by insurance if the driver has an accident. New Jersey last week became the 14th state along with the District of Columbia to issue warnings about the risks of using ride-shares such as Uber, Lyft or Sidecar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>New Orleans \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.fox8live.com/story/25779114/could-uber-be-headed-toward-new-orleans\" target=\"_blank\">Could Uber be headed toward New Orleans?\u003c/a>: (WVUE): Ryan Kelly, a writer for New Orleans CityBusiness, explains, \"UberBLACK is a luxury black car sedan service that has a little bit higher fares than a taxi and that's what they're trying to bring in right now.\" With the tap of a finger, users can order an Uber car to take them wherever they please. Just last week, the New Orleans City Council introduced an ordinance that would govern how the system worked, if brought here. Riders would pay a minimum of $25 for sedans and $35 for SUV's. But Uber cars don't have meters and don't really have any cap on how much they can charge riders. In many other places, the company also has UberX which is more comparable to a taxi service. \"Uber has a history of introducing the UberBLACK service in cities and then eventually following with UberX,\" said Kelly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>New York\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-06-02/while-uber-thrives-in-new-york-its-competitors-battle-regulators\" target=\"_blank\">While Uber Thrives in New York, Its Competitors Lobby Regulators\u003c/a> (BusinessWeek):\u003cspan style=\"color: #222222\"> Lyft would love to operate in New York City, but city regulations prohibit the startup’s version of a taxi service, in which nonprofessionals use private vehicles to shuttle passengers....While Lyft tries to figure out a way in, Uber is gaining significant traction with New Yorkers. Lyft has a tougher time because its service is considerably different from the activity the TLC is used to regulating. For all the hype, Uber in New York is basically a black-car service with a tech twist. Lyft, on the other hand, wants looser regulations for its drivers. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Orlando\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2014-06-18/news/os-uber-orlando-clash-20140618_1_uber-drivers-uberx-taxi-rules\" target=\"_blank\">Uber will talk taxi rules with Orlando City Hall\u003c/a> (Orlando Sentinel): Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer is taking a diplomatic approach with Uber, the next-gen taxi service the city says is breaking its cars-for-hire laws. The San Francisco-based company has requested a meeting with the mayor, two weeks after it launched in Orlando with no advance notice to City Hall. The planned meeting heads off — at least for now — the city's plan to begin enforcing its taxi regulations against Uber drivers. \"Uber reached out to us, which I see as a positive thing,\" Dyer said Wednesday. \"We're an aggressively technology-centric city, and Uber is the new thing right now, with a new way of doing things.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pittsburgh\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.post-gazette.com/news/transportation/2014/06/17/Peduto-wants-PUC-to/stories/201406170163\" target=\"_blank\">Lyft, Uber have no plans to leave state despite enforcement\u003c/a> (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette): Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto reiterated his support for Lyft and Uber on Tuesday, even as the state scheduled hearings to decide whether to issue cease-and-desist orders against the ride-sharing companies. Mr. Peduto sent a letter to the leadership of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to express his “disappointment” with the agency's actions against the San Francisco ride-share companies. The PUC’s enforcement bureau is seeking to prevent both companies from operating in Pennsylvania. ... Although PUC chairman Robert Powelson has expressed his support for Lyft and Uber in the past, the PUC’s investigation and enforcement arm issued citations to 23 ride-share drivers in March and April, and has proposed additional daily fines of $1,000 per day against each company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>San Antonio\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.foxsanantonio.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/ridesharing-company-offering-free-rides-amid-controversy-4589.shtml#.U6MOQo1dWSM\" target=\"_blank\">Ride-Sharing Company Offering Free Rides Amid Controversy\u003c/a> (FOX 29): The ride sharing company \"Uber\" is trying to win over fans, but the San Antonio Police Department is warning drivers to beware. Uber is teaming up with Crown Royal to offer free rides to people 21 or older Wednesday during the Spurs celebration who download the Uber app and enter the promo code: ReignOn. \"We know people are going to be out enjoying the festivities and parades, and we want people to have a safe and free ride and a designated driver,” said Will Zinsmeister with Uber San Antonio. ... However, that's not necessarily how the City of San Antonio sees it. Uber is operating in violation of the city's taxi cab ordinance, which states drivers must be licensed and regulated by the city in order for money to be exchanged for services. ... Yellow cab, along with other taxi companies, filed a lawsuit against Uber and ride-sharing company “Lyft” saying they are operating illegally in San Antonio.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Santa Barbara\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.independent.com/news/2014/jun/02/cabbies-take-uber-drivers-task/\" target=\"_blank\">Cabbies Take Uber Drivers to Task\u003c/a> (Santa Barbara Independent): Disgruntled taxi drivers gathered outside City Hall last Friday afternoon to argue companies like Uber and Lyft are violating Santa Barbara law. Congregating on the sidewalk and holding signs above their heads, several cabbies contended the drivers hailed by taxi apps get an unfair advantage because they are not bound by the same regulations that the 68 taxi companies here must adhere to. Murmurs from frustrated taxi drivers have circulated since Uber landed in town last fall — Lyft launched a couple of months ago — but Friday marked the first coordinated protest, as cab drivers claimed their revenue has since dropped by 60 percent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Seattle\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.geekwire.com/2014/seattle-legalizes-uber-lyft-caps/\" target=\"_blank\">Seattle mayor reaches deal to legalize Uber, Lyft and Sidecar, without driver limits\u003c/a> (GeekWire): After more than one year of City Council meetings, protests and debate, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray today announced an agreement between the major industry players, the taxi industry and city officials that will let app-based transportation services such as Lyft, Sidecar and UberX keep operating without any limit on the number of drivers that can be on the street at any given time. That’s a big change from the original ordinance that was approved by the City Council in March, which set a maximum of 150 active drivers per company — a decision that left the ride-sharing companies unhappy. ... The agreement still needs to be approved by the Seattle City Council.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>St. Louis\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/blog/biznext/2014/06/lyft-still-can-t-do-business-in-st-louis-judge.html\" target=\"_blank\">Lyft still can't do business in St. Louis, judge rules\u003c/a> (St. Louis Business Journal): The temporary restraining order against Lyft in St. Louis has been extended, meaning the peer-to-peer ride sharing app won’t be able to do business until a St. Louis circuit court judge makes an official ruling at a later date. ... Lyft opened for business in St. Louis in mid-April. Just a few days later, it was handed a temporary restraining order prohibiting it from doing business in the city or county. The Metropolitan Taxicab Commission maintains Lyft should fall under its regulations. Lyft says its business model excludes it from those regulations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tampa\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/regulatory-agency-seeks-help-in-crackdown-against-uber-lyft/2183977\" target=\"_blank\">Regulatory agency seeks help in crackdown against Uber, Lyft\u003c/a> (Tampa Bay Times): In its crackdown on the increasingly popular but unregulated Uber and Lyft ride-sharing programs, the Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission agreed Wednesday to ask other law enforcement agencies for help. The two outfits have operated in Tampa for several months now, causing friction with the transportation commission and the taxi and limousine industries, which say the companies are in violation of state laws and local regulations. Uber and Lyft don't carry the proper insurance and aren't certified, they say. ... So far, PTC inspectors have fined 12 drivers and issued 44 tickets that come with fines ranging from $100 to $500.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_118106\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-118106\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/11/uber.jpg\" alt=\"Local regulators have been unsuccessful in gaining access to TNCs excess liability insurance policies. (Adam Fagen/Flickr)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Uber car. (Adam Fagen/Flickr)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Uber has been so successful in supplanting taxis that fear and loathing of the San Francisco-based company united cab drivers across Europe last week — even amid the nationalistic fervor of the World Cup. Tens of thousands of drivers in London, Paris and Berlin, among other cities, \u003ca href=\"http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-06-10/uber-protests-spread-across-europe-as-taxi-app-backlash-grows.html\" target=\"_blank\">snarled traffic in some of the densest thoroughfares on the continent\u003c/a>, all in protest of the company that in varying degrees has eaten their dejeuner, almuerzo and lunch in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.uber.com/cities\" target=\"_blank\">128 cities\u003c/a> around the world in which it has set up shop.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignleft\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/06/19/2014/uber-lyft-regulations#updates\">Click here for city-by-city Uber and Lyft updates\u003c/a>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>And what a feast it’s been. On June 6, Uber announced it had raised an additional $1.2 billion in investment capital to \u003ca href=\"http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/06/06/uber-raises-new-funds-at-17-billion-valuation/?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Ar\" target=\"_blank\">up its valuation to $18.2 billion\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"You’re worth more than Whole Foods, you’re worth more than Tiffany and company,” a CNBC anchor breathlessly informed Uber CEO Travis Kalanick during an \u003ca href=\"http://nyti.ms/1xl7GNP\" target=\"_blank\">interview after the announcement\u003c/a>. Kalanick replied that Uber is actually undervalued. (\u003ca href=\"http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/uber-isnt-worth-17-billion/\" target=\"_blank\">Others\u003c/a>, meanwhile, think the $18.2 billion number is \u003ca href=\"http://www.cnbc.com/id/101762832\" target=\"_blank\">way too big\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Locally, Uber has become a major employer in San Francisco. The company says it has 500 people working at its headquarters in the city. That's in addition to all the drivers now earning a living by connecting with passengers through Uber's app. One group not seeing the benefits of this expansion: taxi companies and the drivers who have yet to switch over to Uber or Lyft, a smaller yet growing rival also based in San Francisco. The city's taxi business is off so much that the owner of DeSoto Cab Co., Hansu Kim, said this month that the industry's survival is threatened.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I say the taxi industry may not survive 18 months or so, I’m seeing a situation where those who drove a taxicab in the past are now taking their personal cars and acting like a cab on their own,” \u003ca href=\"http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2014/06/06/san-francisco-desoto-taxi-cab-company-ceo-industry-may-not-survive-the-next-18-months-uber-lyft-sidecar-rideshare/\" target=\"_blank\">he told KPIX\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet for all the rapid success of Uber and Lyft, which the state of California calls transportation network companies, or TNCs, there is also a growing resistance to their operations by regulators and insurers across the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both the California Department of Insurance and Public Utilities Commission, which regulates TNCs, have sided with the insurance industry's assessment that current cheaper excess coverage the companies offer to protect drivers and passengers is based on a fictional belief that a driver's personal insurer will tolerate paying claims for individuals who drive commercially.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every other business in California has to have insurance to cover their activities,\" said Mark Sektnan, president of the Association of California Insurance Companies. \"Why is this business any different?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both the utilities commission and the state Legislature are now \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/06/17/2014/Uber-Lyft-Insurance-crack-down\" target=\"_blank\">considering proposals to toughen TNC insurance requirements\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As you'll see in our roundup below, California is far from the only state where Uber and Lyft are coming under regulatory, legislative or legal pressure. The novelty of a business model that has encouraged thousands of everyday drivers to hit the road in their own vehicles in quest of paying passengers has taken the system of transportation oversight, developed over decades, by almost complete surprise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This has resulted in a fair amount of confusion and conflict, including lawsuits, protests, fines and threats. What is also notable is the willingness by Uber and Lyft to openly defy local authorities who have determined the companies are operating illegally.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>How it all shakes out will determine just how large this innovative industry becomes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Regulatory overhang is obviously something investors and (Uber) need to be mindful of,\" said Anand Sanwal, CEO of CB Insights, which tracks high-growth private companies. \"It seems, at least to date, they’ve figured out ways to operate in markets they’ve wanted to in compliance with these issues, or they’re paying fines with the view that this legislation will be overturned or public outcry will make it go away. Obviously, investors feel that way too. But Uber does have regulatory risks.\"\u003ca name=\"updates\">\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are what various media are reporting about the road wars around the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Albuquerque\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/blog/morning-edition/2014/06/prc-keeps-meter-running-on-ridesharing-hearing.html\" target=\"_blank\">PRC Keeps Meter Running on Ridesharing Hearing\u003c/a> (Albuquerque Business First): The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission on Wednesday decided not to immediately hear a case relating to letting the ridesharing service Uber operate in New Mexico. At the PRC hearing, the commission also heard testimony about the similar service, Lyft, said Commissioner Valerie Espinoza. Both services started operating in Albuquerque in late April. The two services contend that they’re not taxi cab services, and as such shouldn’t have to abide by the same laws as taxi cabs. But, the services are similar enough that the PRC has launched investigations into both. Some have questions about the services’ legality, said Commissioner Karen Montoya on Wednesday. The issues will be put on next Wednesday’s PRC agenda.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ann Arbor\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://annarborchronicle.com/2014/05/25/taxicab-board-considers-rates-drivers/\" target=\"_blank\">Taxicab Board Considers Rates, Drivers\u003c/a> (Ann Arbor Chronicle): Two topics addressed by the board at its April 23, 2014 meeting received additional conversation this month. First, the board discussed the possibility of deregulating taxicab fares, or setting them at a much higher maximum. The board also continued discussing whether to recommend that the city council enact an ordinance to regulate all drivers for hire – taxicab drivers, limo drivers, as well as those who drive for Uber and Lyft.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Austin\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2014-06-13/uber-stakes-its-austin-claim/\" target=\"_blank\">Uber stakes Its Austin Claim\u003c/a> (Austin Chronicle): ... Both Lyft and Uber have indicated repeatedly that they're excited to be working with the city on bringing TNCs to Austin, but the two companies' arrivals run in direct contrast to requests from the City Council, which has essentially asked for a bit more time – perhaps even seven months – to figure the whole TNC system out, during which time TNCs are not allowed to take payment for rides. The city, meanwhile, has received informal accusations of entrapment from Lyft, which claims that city staffers have engaged in sting operations to nab violators. In one case, Lyft alleges, a staffer \"purposely left cash behind.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Baltimore\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://technical.ly/baltimore/2014/06/09/uber-appeals-april-psc-ruling/\" target=\"_blank\">Uber appeals Public Service Commission Ruling\u003c/a> (Technical.ly): Uber has appealed an April Maryland Public Service Commission ruling that classified it as a common carrier, company officials announced Monday. In the \u003ca href=\"http://webapp.psc.state.md.us/Intranet/Maillog/submit_new.cfm?MaillogPath=155796&DirPath=C:%5CCasenum%5CAdmin%20Filings%5C110000-159999%5C155796&maillognum=155796\" target=\"_blank\">appeal\u003c/a>, filed Friday, Uber officials claim that Uber is not a public service company and the commission does not have the authority to regulate it. It contends that Uber owns no vehicles used to transport passengers and does not itself transport passengers for money. ... Uber, which \u003ca href=\"http://technical.ly/baltimore/2014/05/23/uber-annapolis-launch/\" target=\"_blank\">launched service in Annapolis\u003c/a> in May, entered the Baltimore market last year. A bill \u003ca href=\"http://technical.ly/baltimore/2014/03/11/uber-ridesharing-case-9325/\" target=\"_blank\">that would have exempted\u003c/a> Uber and competitor Lyft from common carrier regulations \u003ca href=\"http://technical.ly/baltimore/2014/04/09/bill-exempt-uber-lyft-common-carrier-status-fails-pass/\" target=\"_blank\">failed to pass\u003c/a> in the 2014 General Assembly session.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Uber launched a \u003ca href=\"http://technical.ly/baltimore/2014/06/19/uber-driver-video-psc-appeal/\" target=\"_blank\">PR push\u003c/a> following its appeal.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Boston\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.boston.com/business/technology/2014/05/22/boston-taxi-drivers-hold-rally-shut-down-uber/5fLnhOEWls556Cmg6zyaAL/story.html\" target=\"_blank\">Boston Taxi Drivers Hold Rally to Shut Down Uber \u003c/a>(Boston.com): The Boston Taxi Driver’s Association held a “rolling rally” at Uber’s Boston headquarters this afternoon in order to compel city officials to shut down the app until its drivers can be regulated. The demonstration took place at 186 South Street in Boston’s Leather District from 2 to 3 p.m. The organization represents more than 1,400 cab drivers and is arguing that an unregulated taxi service like Uber poses a serious public safety threat because drivers are not vetted by the city before they are allowed to pick up fares.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cambridge\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.boston.com/business/technology/2014/06/17/cambridge-licensing-board-signals-willingness-work-with-uber/iOtCaBhI96178xsQmbj8KL/story.html\" target=\"_blank\">Cambridge Licensing Board Signals Willingness to Work With Uber\u003c/a> (Boston.com): Uber users, as well as some opponents of the popular ride-calling service, showed up in droves in Cambridge Tuesday night to clash over proposed regulations that Uber said would cause it to cease operations in the city. But by the time the meeting started, some of the tension between the city and the company that had built early this week appeared to have simmered. The proposed regulations would have required companies offering services like Uber’s, and drivers for those companies, to become licensed with the city. It also would have not allowed technology not approved by the city — like Uber’s and its competitor Lyft’s — to be used in any livery service, would have set a minimum price for any ride at $50, and would have banned other elements of Uber’s business model. The commission did not vote on the proposed regulations. It had said there would not be a vote at the meeting earlier in the day. During the meeting, License Commission chair Andrea Spears Jackson said those proposed rules “would not be passed,” and predicted that multiple additional hearings would follow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Chicago\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://politics.suntimes.com/article/chicago/new-ridesharing-rules-okd-taxi-industry-upset-emanuels-plan/wed-05282014-1122am\" target=\"_blank\">New ridesharing rules OK'd; taxi industry upset by Emanuel's plan\u003c/a> (Chicago Sun-Times): A divided City Council on Wednesday approved Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s plan to fill the regulatory vacuum that has allowed ridesharing companies to siphon business from taxicabs amid warnings that it’s so weak as to render costly taxi medallions “worthless.” The ridesharing industry, whose investors include the mayor’s brother, was pleased with the ordinance approved by a 34-10 vote. The taxicab industry, its City Council allies and a union representing cabdrivers was not.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>A local municipal workers union \u003ca href=\"http://politics.suntimes.com/article/chicago/emanuels-taxi-reforms-cost-average-cabdriver-7500-study/wed-06112014-1237pm\" target=\"_blank\">says Emanuel's plan costs the average cab driver $7,500\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Connecticut\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-05-22/uber-lyft-face-racketeering-lawsuit-by-connecticut-cab-groups.html\" target=\"_blank\">Uber, Lyft Accused of Racketeering in Connecticut Suit\u003c/a> (Bloomberg): Ride-sharing services Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. were accused of racketeering in a lawsuit by Connecticut taxi and livery firms, which said the companies “prey parasitically” on established services. The services, operating without proper licenses, “cut corners illegally” and undermine “critical safety provisions of Connecticut taxi and livery laws,” the taxi companies said in a complaint filed yesterday in New Haven federal court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Denver\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_25907057/colorado-first-authorize-lyft-and-ubers-ridesharing-services\" target=\"_blank\">Colorado first to authorize Lyft and Uber's ridesharing services\u003c/a> (Denver Post): Gov. John Hickenlooper on Thursday signed into law \u003ca href=\"http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_25661374/colorado-likely-first-legislatively-authorize-ride-share-services\" target=\"_blank\">a bill that officially authorizes ride-sharing services\u003c/a>, making Colorado the first state to legislatively embrace disruptive transportation offerings from upstarts such as Uber Technologies and Lyft. ... He called for Colorado regulators to review rules placed on taxis and limos, questioning whether they're still appropriate or necessary with the advent of so-called transportation network companies like Lyft and Uber. Throughout the legislative process, taxi officials had argued ride-sharing companies have unfair advantages because they don't face similar regulations as cabbies, such as rate, coverage area and insurance requirements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Hampton Roads, Va.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/state-regional/uber-says-it-will-operate-despite-dmv-s-cease-and/article_216140ee-eda3-11e3-8d40-0017a43b2370.html\" target=\"_blank\">Uber says it will operate despite DMV's 'cease and desist' order\u003c/a> (Hampton Roads Daily Press): The car ride services Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. said Friday that they plan to operate as usual in the state, despite cease-and-desist letters from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. The DMV on Thursday ordered Uber and Lyft, taxilike service companies, to stop operating in Virginia in violation of state law and said unauthorized drivers could face penalties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Houston\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/blog/nuts-and-bolts/2014/06/uber-and-lyft-still-in-limbo-in-houston.html\" target=\"_blank\">Uber and Lyft still in limbo in Houston\u003c/a> (Houston Business Journal): The Houston City Council delayed a vote until July 30 on regulations for the vehicles-for-hire industry, keeping UberTechnologies Inc. and Lyft Inc.'s legal status in Houston in limbo. Council member Mike Laster proposed an initial delay of 60 days, saying, \"I believe this cake is not fully baked.\" The delay was then reduced to 45 days. ... The vote is now scheduled for July 30, or until a consensus is met by all the stakeholders involved in negotiations. Several council members, including C.O. “Brad” Bradford, didn’t feel the delay was necessary and asked for the vote to take place sooner rather than later.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Kansas City\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2014/06/16/kansas-city-mayor-uber-legal.html\" target=\"_blank\">James: Uber is now legal in Kansas City\u003c/a> (Kansas City Business Journal): Uber Technologies Inc. is now operating inside the law in Kansas City. Late on Saturday night, Mayor \u003ca href=\"http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/search/results?q=Sly%20James\" target=\"_blank\">Sly James\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MayorSlyJames/status/478061431426793473\" target=\"_blank\">tweeted\u003c/a> that the San Francisco-based ride-sharing company is now operating \"legally and in compliance\" in the city. Joni Wickham, a spokeswoman for the mayor's office, said the Mayor's tweet was in reference to the fact that Uber is not charging for their services. Until they charge for their services, they are legally operating. She said that Uber is working with city staff to to go through the process to get a permit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Las Vegas\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/traffic-transportation/nevada-officials-warn-about-insurance-ride-sharing-programs\" title=\"Nevada officials warn about insurance in ride sharing programs\" target=\"_blank\">Nevada officials warn about insurance in ride sharing programs\u003c/a> (Las Vegas Review Journal):\u003cbr>\nThe state’s Division of Insurance is warning the public that it could be at risk when accepting a ride with a ride-sharing company. The Nevada Division of Insurance issued a release suggesting that people confirm that a driver has commercial car insurance before accepting a ride with companies such as Uber, Lyft and Sidecar. San Francisco-based Uber is looking to enter the Las Vegas market and has advertised for drivers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The announcement came less than two weeks after managers of Southern Nevada's largest taxi group \u003ca href=\"http://www.reviewjournal.com/business/tourism/las-vegas-cab-company-makes-uber-threat\" target=\"_blank\">posted a memorandum to employees\u003c/a>, warning them of the consequences of going to work for a mobile application rideshare company, according to the Review Journal.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Los Angeles\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2014/06/10/councilmembers-taxi-drivers-to-protest-ridesharing-apps-like-uber-at-city-hall/\" target=\"_blank\">Councilmembers, Taxi Drivers Protest Ridesharing Apps At City Hall\u003c/a> (CBS Los Angeles): Hundreds of taxicab drivers descended on the steps of City Hall Tuesday morning to protest popular ridesharing apps. The drivers were joined by councilmembers Paul Koretz and Gil Cedillo to protest unregulated and unrestricted taxi apps such as Uber, Lyft and Sidecar. Demonstrators said drivers of so-called “bandit cabs” do not have to pass background checks using fingerprints or have their vehicles inspected for safety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Milwaukee\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/milwaukee-aldermen-to-consider-transforming-taxi-landscape-b99294012z1-263652731.html\" target=\"_blank\">Milwaukee Common Council panel backs taxi proposal\u003c/a> (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel): By a 3-0 vote, members of the city's Public Works Committee on Wednesday sent to the Common Council a proposed ordinance that revamps the way taxis operate in Milwaukee. In addition to doing away with a cap on the number of taxicab permits, the proposal also makes room for new technology-based smartphone apps such as Uber and Lyft in which riders are matched with drivers. Those new services have been operating for months in the city, though council members say they are currently operating in violation of current ordinances .... After (Uber and Lyft) began offering rides, some council members...pivoted and began to push for an unfettered free enterprise system for public passenger vehicles. They have since been joined by the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce. Steve Baas, MMAC's vice president for governmental affairs, said the pro-business group favored wider transportation options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Miami\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/10/usa-florida-taxis-idUSL2N0OQ25M20140610\" target=\"_blank\">Authorities clamp down on ride-sharing services in Miami\u003c/a> (Reuters): Miami-Dade County officials have refused to license drivers for Lyft and Uber, a similar service, arguing the driver-owned vehicles should comply with the same regulations as taxi companies. Lyft and Uber, however, argue they are different, describing themselves as technology companies that provide mobile applications connecting private drivers with passenger. ... Lyft and Uber launched in Miami last month despite the risk of heavy fines and after an unsuccessful two-year lobbying effort to persuade Miami lawmakers to change the regulations. Since then, the county has impounded three cars and fined eight drivers as much as $2,000, according to Raul Gonzalez, an official with Miami-Dade County's regulatory and economic resources department. Police in Miami have posed as riders and then issued fines to the drivers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Minneapolis\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2014/05/despite_commerce_department_warning_jacob_frey_says_uberlyft_ordinance_still_on_its_way.php\" target=\"_blank\">Despite Commerce Department warning, Jacob Frey says Uber/Lyft ordinance still on its way\u003c/a> (Minneapolis City Pages): A few weeks ago, the Minnesota Commerce Department issued a warning to folks considering using so-called \"transportation network companies\" like Lyft or Uber. \"The Commerce Department wants Minnesotans to know that there may be gaps in auto insurance coverage for both the drivers and passengers using TNCs,\" the department said in a statement. \"There may not be coverage for an accident because most personal auto insurance policies contain exclusions when drivers use their personal cars for a commercial (business) purpose. For example, if you participate in a regular, non-business car pool, you would be covered. If you charge passengers a fee, you may not be covered if you get into an accident. ... But Jacob Frey, the Minneapolis City Council member who is taking the lead in drawing up an ordinance to regulate currently unregulated TNC companies doesn't think the Commerce Department's warning is a big deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nashville\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://nashvillepublicradio.org/blog/2014/06/13/ridesharing-services-like-lyft-uber-will-face-new-regulations-end-summer/\">Ridesharing Services Like Lyft and Uber Will Face New Regulations By End of Summer\u003c/a> (Nashville Public Radio): Popular ridesharing services like Lyft and Uber may soon be coming under new regulations. Billy Fields, who leads the city’s Transportation and Licensing Commission, said companies like Lyft and Uber are considered “drivers for hire,” not taxis. And under that title, they need to have a permit and be working for a licensed company. Under Nashville’s current law, Lyft and Uber are technically illegal. ... Metro Police could not say how many tickets have been issued to drivers. By the end of the summer, Fields said he will go in front of Metro Council to ask that a new law be written. It’ll require that rideshare companies have special licenses, inspections and the same insurance taxi drivers are required to have.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>New Jersey\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.cnbc.com/id/101732424\" target=\"_blank\">Uber a risky ride for passengers, states warn\u003c/a> (CNBC): Uber is under siege. It's not from a rival company, such as Lyft or Sidecar, because they may be in the same boat. It's from states that are warning passengers they may not be covered by insurance if the driver has an accident. New Jersey last week became the 14th state along with the District of Columbia to issue warnings about the risks of using ride-shares such as Uber, Lyft or Sidecar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>New Orleans \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.fox8live.com/story/25779114/could-uber-be-headed-toward-new-orleans\" target=\"_blank\">Could Uber be headed toward New Orleans?\u003c/a>: (WVUE): Ryan Kelly, a writer for New Orleans CityBusiness, explains, \"UberBLACK is a luxury black car sedan service that has a little bit higher fares than a taxi and that's what they're trying to bring in right now.\" With the tap of a finger, users can order an Uber car to take them wherever they please. Just last week, the New Orleans City Council introduced an ordinance that would govern how the system worked, if brought here. Riders would pay a minimum of $25 for sedans and $35 for SUV's. But Uber cars don't have meters and don't really have any cap on how much they can charge riders. In many other places, the company also has UberX which is more comparable to a taxi service. \"Uber has a history of introducing the UberBLACK service in cities and then eventually following with UberX,\" said Kelly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>New York\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-06-02/while-uber-thrives-in-new-york-its-competitors-battle-regulators\" target=\"_blank\">While Uber Thrives in New York, Its Competitors Lobby Regulators\u003c/a> (BusinessWeek):\u003cspan style=\"color: #222222\"> Lyft would love to operate in New York City, but city regulations prohibit the startup’s version of a taxi service, in which nonprofessionals use private vehicles to shuttle passengers....While Lyft tries to figure out a way in, Uber is gaining significant traction with New Yorkers. Lyft has a tougher time because its service is considerably different from the activity the TLC is used to regulating. For all the hype, Uber in New York is basically a black-car service with a tech twist. Lyft, on the other hand, wants looser regulations for its drivers. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Orlando\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2014-06-18/news/os-uber-orlando-clash-20140618_1_uber-drivers-uberx-taxi-rules\" target=\"_blank\">Uber will talk taxi rules with Orlando City Hall\u003c/a> (Orlando Sentinel): Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer is taking a diplomatic approach with Uber, the next-gen taxi service the city says is breaking its cars-for-hire laws. The San Francisco-based company has requested a meeting with the mayor, two weeks after it launched in Orlando with no advance notice to City Hall. The planned meeting heads off — at least for now — the city's plan to begin enforcing its taxi regulations against Uber drivers. \"Uber reached out to us, which I see as a positive thing,\" Dyer said Wednesday. \"We're an aggressively technology-centric city, and Uber is the new thing right now, with a new way of doing things.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pittsburgh\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.post-gazette.com/news/transportation/2014/06/17/Peduto-wants-PUC-to/stories/201406170163\" target=\"_blank\">Lyft, Uber have no plans to leave state despite enforcement\u003c/a> (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette): Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto reiterated his support for Lyft and Uber on Tuesday, even as the state scheduled hearings to decide whether to issue cease-and-desist orders against the ride-sharing companies. Mr. Peduto sent a letter to the leadership of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to express his “disappointment” with the agency's actions against the San Francisco ride-share companies. The PUC’s enforcement bureau is seeking to prevent both companies from operating in Pennsylvania. ... Although PUC chairman Robert Powelson has expressed his support for Lyft and Uber in the past, the PUC’s investigation and enforcement arm issued citations to 23 ride-share drivers in March and April, and has proposed additional daily fines of $1,000 per day against each company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>San Antonio\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.foxsanantonio.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/ridesharing-company-offering-free-rides-amid-controversy-4589.shtml#.U6MOQo1dWSM\" target=\"_blank\">Ride-Sharing Company Offering Free Rides Amid Controversy\u003c/a> (FOX 29): The ride sharing company \"Uber\" is trying to win over fans, but the San Antonio Police Department is warning drivers to beware. Uber is teaming up with Crown Royal to offer free rides to people 21 or older Wednesday during the Spurs celebration who download the Uber app and enter the promo code: ReignOn. \"We know people are going to be out enjoying the festivities and parades, and we want people to have a safe and free ride and a designated driver,” said Will Zinsmeister with Uber San Antonio. ... However, that's not necessarily how the City of San Antonio sees it. Uber is operating in violation of the city's taxi cab ordinance, which states drivers must be licensed and regulated by the city in order for money to be exchanged for services. ... Yellow cab, along with other taxi companies, filed a lawsuit against Uber and ride-sharing company “Lyft” saying they are operating illegally in San Antonio.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Santa Barbara\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.independent.com/news/2014/jun/02/cabbies-take-uber-drivers-task/\" target=\"_blank\">Cabbies Take Uber Drivers to Task\u003c/a> (Santa Barbara Independent): Disgruntled taxi drivers gathered outside City Hall last Friday afternoon to argue companies like Uber and Lyft are violating Santa Barbara law. Congregating on the sidewalk and holding signs above their heads, several cabbies contended the drivers hailed by taxi apps get an unfair advantage because they are not bound by the same regulations that the 68 taxi companies here must adhere to. Murmurs from frustrated taxi drivers have circulated since Uber landed in town last fall — Lyft launched a couple of months ago — but Friday marked the first coordinated protest, as cab drivers claimed their revenue has since dropped by 60 percent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Seattle\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.geekwire.com/2014/seattle-legalizes-uber-lyft-caps/\" target=\"_blank\">Seattle mayor reaches deal to legalize Uber, Lyft and Sidecar, without driver limits\u003c/a> (GeekWire): After more than one year of City Council meetings, protests and debate, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray today announced an agreement between the major industry players, the taxi industry and city officials that will let app-based transportation services such as Lyft, Sidecar and UberX keep operating without any limit on the number of drivers that can be on the street at any given time. That’s a big change from the original ordinance that was approved by the City Council in March, which set a maximum of 150 active drivers per company — a decision that left the ride-sharing companies unhappy. ... The agreement still needs to be approved by the Seattle City Council.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>St. Louis\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/blog/biznext/2014/06/lyft-still-can-t-do-business-in-st-louis-judge.html\" target=\"_blank\">Lyft still can't do business in St. Louis, judge rules\u003c/a> (St. Louis Business Journal): The temporary restraining order against Lyft in St. Louis has been extended, meaning the peer-to-peer ride sharing app won’t be able to do business until a St. Louis circuit court judge makes an official ruling at a later date. ... Lyft opened for business in St. Louis in mid-April. Just a few days later, it was handed a temporary restraining order prohibiting it from doing business in the city or county. The Metropolitan Taxicab Commission maintains Lyft should fall under its regulations. Lyft says its business model excludes it from those regulations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tampa\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/regulatory-agency-seeks-help-in-crackdown-against-uber-lyft/2183977\" target=\"_blank\">Regulatory agency seeks help in crackdown against Uber, Lyft\u003c/a> (Tampa Bay Times): In its crackdown on the increasingly popular but unregulated Uber and Lyft ride-sharing programs, the Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission agreed Wednesday to ask other law enforcement agencies for help. The two outfits have operated in Tampa for several months now, causing friction with the transportation commission and the taxi and limousine industries, which say the companies are in violation of state laws and local regulations. Uber and Lyft don't carry the proper insurance and aren't certified, they say. ... So far, PTC inspectors have fined 12 drivers and issued 44 tickets that come with fines ranging from $100 to $500.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"disqusTitle": "Once Friendly Territory, California Looks to Toughen Rules for Uber, Lyft",
"title": "Once Friendly Territory, California Looks to Toughen Rules for Uber, Lyft",
"headTitle": "News Fix | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_126917\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/01/30/lyft-uberx-driver-safety/rs8866_uberx_3-lpr/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-126917\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-126917\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/01/RS8866_UberX_3-lpr-640x426.jpg\" alt=\"The California Public Utilities Commission requires Transportation Network Companies like UberX to display signage. (Jeremy Raff/KQED)\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Photo: Jeremy Raff/KQED) \u003ccite>(Jeremy Raff/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">I\u003c/span>n February, when Lyft was battling to stave off regulations of ride-service companies in Seattle, company CEO John Zimmer \u003ca href=\"//www.geekwire.com/2014/seattle-tech-community-ride-sharing/%E2%80%9D\">pointed to California as a shining example of a fruitful partnership between a disruptive tech industry and regulators.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California had a yearlong rule-making process with several steps,” he said in an interview about the California Public Utilities Commission's decision last year to sanction what it calls Transportation Network Companies, or TNCs. “And they were able to come out with something that put, in many cases, more strict standards on new companies like Lyft, yet preserved innovation and consumer choice. I think that’s a fantastic model.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignleft\">Ride-service firms in a struggle with legislators and regulators over insurance and other issues.\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>But critics of companies like Lyft and TNC behemoth Uber were not so happy with the CPUC ruling. Taxi companies and their regulators led the charge: Despite a host of requirements the commission created as the cost of TNCs doing business in California, these were nowhere near the regulatory burden that taxis had to contend with in San Francisco and other cities, they said. The biggest complaint: The state was not saddling the Lyfts and Ubers with the same stringent insurance requirements that taxi firms must meet under local regulations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The TNC industry has portrayed these protests as the loud protectionist rumblings of an obsolete industry. But now, nine months after the commission’s decision paved the way for ride-service upstarts to purloin large chunks of cab business, the home state of the most prominent ride-service companies may be on the verge of levying significantly more rigorous insurance mandates, either through legislation, the regulatory process or both.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A stern \u003ca href=\"//www.cpuc.ca.gov/NR/rdonlyres/216C7343-8740-40C3-BF60-2B57BF37F8A5/0/LettertoLoganGreenofLyft061014.pdf%E2%80%9D\">letter that CPUC President Michael Peevey sent\u003c/a> last week to UberX, Lyft and three other TNCs serves as a sign of just how precarious things have gotten for the industry in California. The letter threatened to revoke the companies' licenses unless they prevented drivers from operating at five California airports. Not only did TNCs fail to obtain the necessary permits to serve the airports, Peevey wrote, but the vast majority of drivers flaunted CPUC regulations by not displaying required insignias on their vehicles. In addition, some drivers could not provide proof of insurance, and on two occasions at San Francisco International, operated without a valid driver’s license.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Peevey expressed his \"personal disappointment and concern about this behavior.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber was less than contrite: \"We have spent countless hours with airport managers and their staff to help develop requirements that are aligned with CPUC regulations and embrace the spirit of ride-sharing,\" company spokeswoman Eva Behrend said in a statement. \"The tone of the majority of these conversations has been mutually respectful and productive. It's unfortunate the CPUC is not allowing the airport process they designed to proceed by allowing ride-sharing companies to continue working with California airport authorities on their permitting process.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(\u003cstrong>Update June 17\u003c/strong>: A representative for Uber said at a state Senate committee hearing today that it needed to do a better job of informing drivers of the insignia requirements. But she also said drivers do not like to identify themselves as working for TNCs because of harassment from taxis. We have also heard this, especially from Lyft drivers, who frequently remove the trademark mustache from their cars for the same reason.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the airport kerfuffle could prove to be a mere skirmish compared to other regulatory battles brewing around an industry that has expanded globally with startling rapidity. On June 6, Uber announced it had raised an additional $1.2 billion in investment capital to \u003ca href=\"//dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/06/06/uber-raises-new-funds-at-17-billion-valuation/%E2%80%9D\">up its valuation to $18.2 billion\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sacramento Takes a Whack\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, the Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee heard two bills intended to inject a stronger dose of regulation in the world of TNCs, especially around insurance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"//legiscan.com/CA/bill/AB612/2013%E2%80%9D\">[contextly_sidebar id=\"[contextly_sidebar id=\"04961c76f5ecb41f81c0c29378870f0c\"]\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The TNCs offer drivers $1 million in commercial liability insurance, the same requirement as what San Francisco taxis must carry. But TNC coverage is \u003cem>excess insurance\u003c/em>, ostensibly triggered only at the point where the personal policies of TNC drivers, using their own vehicle, after all, stop paying. The TNCs contend that drivers' personal policies should be the insurer of first resort. But both the insurance industry and the state Department of Insurance have now taken the position that this set-up is based on a fiction, contingent on the erroneous view that drivers’ personal insurers will be happy to or at least tolerate paying claims for individuals who drive commercially for TNCs, an activity that has not been factored into the price of their policies. If it is a fiction, though, it's one that makes TNC insurance less expensive, because it assumes drivers’ own policies will pick up at least some of the liability cost for accidents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber, Lyft and Sidecar, another TNC, all insist drivers’ personal insurers have paid claims for accidents occurring during a paid ride. The insurance industry says that’s because the drivers’ insurer didn’t know the accident happened on a TNC call.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The insurance industry is attempting to dismantle this two-tier TNC coverage by backing \u003ca href=\"//legiscan.com/CA/text/AB2293/id/1008847%E2%80%9D\">AB 2293\u003c/a>, sponsored by Assemblymember Susan Bonilla (D-Concord). The bill, which does not set specific coverage amounts, would require TNCs to advise drivers that their personal insurance may not provide coverage during TNC work. It would also force the companies to carry primary insurance, like taxis do, and defend drivers against lawsuits for loss or injury when providing TNC services. The bill would also extend the time that drivers are insured to when they have their apps open but have yet to accept a call, so called \"Period 1.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Uber called the bill “a back-room deal by insurance companies and trial attorneys to prematurely force the ridesharing industry to fit their special interests. The bill allows insurance companies to escape their liability for services they’ve already charged ratepayers, and helps trial attorneys work the system to ensure they get the largest payouts possible.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>(Update June 17, 1 p.m. \u003c/strong>The energy committee forwarded AB 2293 to the Committee on Insurance. The bill does not contain specific amounts of required coverage, but that is where the debate appears to now lie. At the hearing, representatives for Lyft and Uber said they support a number of the bill's requirements: that their insurance be primary, that there be a written disclosure to drivers of TNC insurance limitations and that the period of coverage now extend from app on to app off. However, as an official analysis of the bill states, the TNCs contend that requiring $1 million in coverage for the period before a driver accepts a call would “kill their business model and service.” So the TNCs have proposed an amendment that would set a requirement of just up to $100,000 in insurance, which is what Uber and Lyft offer now for this period. Committee Chair Alex Padilla seemed to push the bill's sponsor, Susan Bonilla, to forward the bill with those requirements. But she said, \"I can’t abandon the reality that catastrophic things do happen and that $100,000 isn’t going to be enough ... What happens after that is exhausted?\" Bonilla did, however, say that she is \"committed\" to treating Period 1 with more flexibility than in the subsequent times a driver will have to covered. Interestingly enough, Kara Cross, General Counsel for the Personal Insurance Federation of California, said Uber told her in negotiations that they can't acknowledge that Period 1 is commercial activity, because that could come into play in the lawsuit against them by the family of Sofia Liu, the 6-year-old killed in San Francisco on New Year's Eve, by an UberX driver.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update 6:34 p.m.\u003c/strong> Uber's Eva Behrend, in a response to Kara Cross's comment, said, \"That's patently false.\")\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A second bill, \u003ca href=\"//legiscan.com/CA/bill/AB612/2013%E2%80%9D\">AB 612\u003c/a>, sponsored by Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian (D-Los Angeles), is backed by the Taxicab Paratransit Association of California and would legislate requirements closer to what local taxi companies labor under: mandatory drug and alcohol testing of drivers; closer monitoring of DMV records; mandatory criminal background checks; driver fingerprinting; and the banning of anyone convicted of a number of crimes, from burglary to credit card fraud to obstructing a peace officer. The bill also stipulates TNCs must have a preventive maintenance program for driver's vehicles, and that all vehicles involved in TNC work must be registered with the CPUC, with an official decal affixed to every bumper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A provision that would have required TNCs to cover vehicles around the clock was removed from the bill before the hearing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber, naturally, is not a fan, calling the proposed legislation “a flagrant attempt to stymie innovation and competition by an antiquated industry. It is an obvious play by the taxicab industry to kill competition and limit consumer choice ... “ Backers of the bill, the company said, wanted to \"make it impossible for companies like Uber to operate.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>William Rouse, the president of TPAC and general manager of Yellow Cab in L.A., said the legislation is necessary to police companies that are plain out of control. He pointed to the violations at California airports as an example.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is not a single jurisdiction, whether inside or outside the U.S., where the TNCs actually follow the letter of the law,” he said. “This is the new world order, where these companies just routinely, habitually thumb their nose at the law in every single city where they operate.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>(Update June 17, 1 p.m. \u003c/strong>The committee voted to remove all but the drug and alcohol testing and background check provisions from AB 612. Representatives from San Francisco International Airport spoke in favor of the bill.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>CPUC Puts the Hammer Down\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TNCs are also under the gun from the \u003ca href=\"http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M094/K268/94268677.PDF\" target=\"_blank\">CPUC's proposed modification\u003c/a> of its original TNC decision. These new regulations, if approved, could significantly increase the companies' insurance costs. The modified decision is scheduled to be heard on July 10 or after.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The proposal, released last Tuesday, makes no bones about clarifying the issue of whether drivers’ personal insurance would cover claims related to TNC accidents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A driver’s personal automobile policy is no way required to provide coverage or the duty to defend for TNC services,” the commission wrote. Reinforcing that stipulation, the commission states TNC policies “shall provide exclusive coverage, and assume all liability and the sole duty to defend, at dollar one,” which would prohibit the TNCs' reliance on excess insurance. The proposal does say that a driver’s insurance can be used to cover TNC accidents, but only if it is “specifically written for the purpose of covering transportation network services.” And those policies do not currently exist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like AB 2293, the latest CPUC proposal also extends the time that drivers are insured to Period 1.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The UberX driver who struck and killed Sofia Liu in San Francisco was reportedly in this interval between calls, so was not covered by Uber's policy, a limitation not widely known at the time. Subsequently, both \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/03/14/uber-lyft-insurance/\" target=\"_blank\">Uber and Lyft announced they had closed this gap\u003c/a> by offering up to $100,000 in coverage for drivers in the app on-and-waiting time. However, this won’t be good enough under the CPUC’s proposal, which appears to simply extend the $1 million insurance requirement to this period.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber and Lyft have also added $50,000 in collision insurance, and Uber offers $50,000 in comprehensive coverage (fire, theft and such). These are all contingent, however, on drivers having bought the same coverage on their personal auto policies. The CPUC’s proposal gives TNCs no such leeway, making collision and comprehensive mandatory regardless of a driver’s having purchased it on his own. Finally, the commission also wants to require $5,000 in coverage for medical payments related to injuries resulting from an accident. Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones is \u003ca href=\"//www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2014/06/12/uber-lyft-setback-insurance-chief-backs-proposal.html?page=3%E2%80%9D\">supporting the proposed CPUC changes\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>TNC Arguments Against\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the CPUC first floated the expansion of the mandatory $1 million coverage to include Period 1, Uber argued it could spur drivers to “(keep) the app open at all times, regardless of the drivers’ intent to accept a request for transportation service … solely to obtain the benefit from the increased insurance.” Uber also speculated that drivers not engaged in TNC work might turn on the app “immediately following an accident in order to try to secure the potentially significant financial benefit of the higher limits.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyft had similar objections: “(A) TNC driver could forget to close the app and be considered to be ‘providing TNC services’ in the middle of the night when the car is parked on the street and the driver is sleeping, or when the vehicle is being driven by another household member, or when it is being used to transport a driver’s child to soccer practice.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kara Cross of the Personal Insurance Federation of California says TNCs can guard against drivers gaming the system this way by monitoring their acceptance rates, tracking who has the app on while not accepting rides.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Stuart Nelson, the president of Point West Insurance, a property and casualty insurance broker in Sacramento, says the CPUC’s mandatory collision coverage could invite fraud. “You could damage a car personally and then say it was damaged during a drive,” he says. “I could have this pre-existing damage and then claim it happened as an Uber driver, and Uber has to cover it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>TNCs Would Pay More\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nelson, Kara Cross, and Jerry Sullivan, who runs an insurance brokerage business, all say TNCs will pay more for insurance if the CPUC changes go through.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"People who write livery are prepared to write the kind of exposure these guys will have,” Sullivan said. “But it’s going to cost them 30 to 35 percent more than they are now.” He said that increase only takes into account the greater expense of extending the period of time drivers are covered — the TNCs might incur additional increases for the additional collision and comprehensive insurance. Nelson thinks requiring TNCs to offer one-size-fits-all collision coverage to every driver could be a significant extra cost, because “there’s no way to properly insure the risk. We won’t know if we’re insuring a 1974 Volkswagen Bug or a Ferrari.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The taxi industry, for its part, is still not happy with the CPUC, because the proposed changes would not go into effect immediately, but after the current TNC policies expire or one year from the effective date of the decision, whichever comes first.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jerry Sullivan said he was in discussion with Lyft about 18 months ago to broker insurance coverage, but that the company balked when he quoted them a price for primary coverage from Lloyds of London. “They didn’t want to pay the price,” he says. “That’s not how they designed their business model.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_126917\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/01/30/lyft-uberx-driver-safety/rs8866_uberx_3-lpr/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-126917\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-126917\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/01/RS8866_UberX_3-lpr-640x426.jpg\" alt=\"The California Public Utilities Commission requires Transportation Network Companies like UberX to display signage. (Jeremy Raff/KQED)\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Photo: Jeremy Raff/KQED) \u003ccite>(Jeremy Raff/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">I\u003c/span>n February, when Lyft was battling to stave off regulations of ride-service companies in Seattle, company CEO John Zimmer \u003ca href=\"//www.geekwire.com/2014/seattle-tech-community-ride-sharing/%E2%80%9D\">pointed to California as a shining example of a fruitful partnership between a disruptive tech industry and regulators.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California had a yearlong rule-making process with several steps,” he said in an interview about the California Public Utilities Commission's decision last year to sanction what it calls Transportation Network Companies, or TNCs. “And they were able to come out with something that put, in many cases, more strict standards on new companies like Lyft, yet preserved innovation and consumer choice. I think that’s a fantastic model.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignleft\">Ride-service firms in a struggle with legislators and regulators over insurance and other issues.\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>But critics of companies like Lyft and TNC behemoth Uber were not so happy with the CPUC ruling. Taxi companies and their regulators led the charge: Despite a host of requirements the commission created as the cost of TNCs doing business in California, these were nowhere near the regulatory burden that taxis had to contend with in San Francisco and other cities, they said. The biggest complaint: The state was not saddling the Lyfts and Ubers with the same stringent insurance requirements that taxi firms must meet under local regulations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The TNC industry has portrayed these protests as the loud protectionist rumblings of an obsolete industry. But now, nine months after the commission’s decision paved the way for ride-service upstarts to purloin large chunks of cab business, the home state of the most prominent ride-service companies may be on the verge of levying significantly more rigorous insurance mandates, either through legislation, the regulatory process or both.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A stern \u003ca href=\"//www.cpuc.ca.gov/NR/rdonlyres/216C7343-8740-40C3-BF60-2B57BF37F8A5/0/LettertoLoganGreenofLyft061014.pdf%E2%80%9D\">letter that CPUC President Michael Peevey sent\u003c/a> last week to UberX, Lyft and three other TNCs serves as a sign of just how precarious things have gotten for the industry in California. The letter threatened to revoke the companies' licenses unless they prevented drivers from operating at five California airports. Not only did TNCs fail to obtain the necessary permits to serve the airports, Peevey wrote, but the vast majority of drivers flaunted CPUC regulations by not displaying required insignias on their vehicles. In addition, some drivers could not provide proof of insurance, and on two occasions at San Francisco International, operated without a valid driver’s license.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Peevey expressed his \"personal disappointment and concern about this behavior.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber was less than contrite: \"We have spent countless hours with airport managers and their staff to help develop requirements that are aligned with CPUC regulations and embrace the spirit of ride-sharing,\" company spokeswoman Eva Behrend said in a statement. \"The tone of the majority of these conversations has been mutually respectful and productive. It's unfortunate the CPUC is not allowing the airport process they designed to proceed by allowing ride-sharing companies to continue working with California airport authorities on their permitting process.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(\u003cstrong>Update June 17\u003c/strong>: A representative for Uber said at a state Senate committee hearing today that it needed to do a better job of informing drivers of the insignia requirements. But she also said drivers do not like to identify themselves as working for TNCs because of harassment from taxis. We have also heard this, especially from Lyft drivers, who frequently remove the trademark mustache from their cars for the same reason.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the airport kerfuffle could prove to be a mere skirmish compared to other regulatory battles brewing around an industry that has expanded globally with startling rapidity. On June 6, Uber announced it had raised an additional $1.2 billion in investment capital to \u003ca href=\"//dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/06/06/uber-raises-new-funds-at-17-billion-valuation/%E2%80%9D\">up its valuation to $18.2 billion\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sacramento Takes a Whack\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, the Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee heard two bills intended to inject a stronger dose of regulation in the world of TNCs, especially around insurance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"//legiscan.com/CA/bill/AB612/2013%E2%80%9D\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The TNCs offer drivers $1 million in commercial liability insurance, the same requirement as what San Francisco taxis must carry. But TNC coverage is \u003cem>excess insurance\u003c/em>, ostensibly triggered only at the point where the personal policies of TNC drivers, using their own vehicle, after all, stop paying. The TNCs contend that drivers' personal policies should be the insurer of first resort. But both the insurance industry and the state Department of Insurance have now taken the position that this set-up is based on a fiction, contingent on the erroneous view that drivers’ personal insurers will be happy to or at least tolerate paying claims for individuals who drive commercially for TNCs, an activity that has not been factored into the price of their policies. If it is a fiction, though, it's one that makes TNC insurance less expensive, because it assumes drivers’ own policies will pick up at least some of the liability cost for accidents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber, Lyft and Sidecar, another TNC, all insist drivers’ personal insurers have paid claims for accidents occurring during a paid ride. The insurance industry says that’s because the drivers’ insurer didn’t know the accident happened on a TNC call.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The insurance industry is attempting to dismantle this two-tier TNC coverage by backing \u003ca href=\"//legiscan.com/CA/text/AB2293/id/1008847%E2%80%9D\">AB 2293\u003c/a>, sponsored by Assemblymember Susan Bonilla (D-Concord). The bill, which does not set specific coverage amounts, would require TNCs to advise drivers that their personal insurance may not provide coverage during TNC work. It would also force the companies to carry primary insurance, like taxis do, and defend drivers against lawsuits for loss or injury when providing TNC services. The bill would also extend the time that drivers are insured to when they have their apps open but have yet to accept a call, so called \"Period 1.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Uber called the bill “a back-room deal by insurance companies and trial attorneys to prematurely force the ridesharing industry to fit their special interests. The bill allows insurance companies to escape their liability for services they’ve already charged ratepayers, and helps trial attorneys work the system to ensure they get the largest payouts possible.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>(Update June 17, 1 p.m. \u003c/strong>The energy committee forwarded AB 2293 to the Committee on Insurance. The bill does not contain specific amounts of required coverage, but that is where the debate appears to now lie. At the hearing, representatives for Lyft and Uber said they support a number of the bill's requirements: that their insurance be primary, that there be a written disclosure to drivers of TNC insurance limitations and that the period of coverage now extend from app on to app off. However, as an official analysis of the bill states, the TNCs contend that requiring $1 million in coverage for the period before a driver accepts a call would “kill their business model and service.” So the TNCs have proposed an amendment that would set a requirement of just up to $100,000 in insurance, which is what Uber and Lyft offer now for this period. Committee Chair Alex Padilla seemed to push the bill's sponsor, Susan Bonilla, to forward the bill with those requirements. But she said, \"I can’t abandon the reality that catastrophic things do happen and that $100,000 isn’t going to be enough ... What happens after that is exhausted?\" Bonilla did, however, say that she is \"committed\" to treating Period 1 with more flexibility than in the subsequent times a driver will have to covered. Interestingly enough, Kara Cross, General Counsel for the Personal Insurance Federation of California, said Uber told her in negotiations that they can't acknowledge that Period 1 is commercial activity, because that could come into play in the lawsuit against them by the family of Sofia Liu, the 6-year-old killed in San Francisco on New Year's Eve, by an UberX driver.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update 6:34 p.m.\u003c/strong> Uber's Eva Behrend, in a response to Kara Cross's comment, said, \"That's patently false.\")\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A second bill, \u003ca href=\"//legiscan.com/CA/bill/AB612/2013%E2%80%9D\">AB 612\u003c/a>, sponsored by Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian (D-Los Angeles), is backed by the Taxicab Paratransit Association of California and would legislate requirements closer to what local taxi companies labor under: mandatory drug and alcohol testing of drivers; closer monitoring of DMV records; mandatory criminal background checks; driver fingerprinting; and the banning of anyone convicted of a number of crimes, from burglary to credit card fraud to obstructing a peace officer. The bill also stipulates TNCs must have a preventive maintenance program for driver's vehicles, and that all vehicles involved in TNC work must be registered with the CPUC, with an official decal affixed to every bumper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A provision that would have required TNCs to cover vehicles around the clock was removed from the bill before the hearing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber, naturally, is not a fan, calling the proposed legislation “a flagrant attempt to stymie innovation and competition by an antiquated industry. It is an obvious play by the taxicab industry to kill competition and limit consumer choice ... “ Backers of the bill, the company said, wanted to \"make it impossible for companies like Uber to operate.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>William Rouse, the president of TPAC and general manager of Yellow Cab in L.A., said the legislation is necessary to police companies that are plain out of control. He pointed to the violations at California airports as an example.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is not a single jurisdiction, whether inside or outside the U.S., where the TNCs actually follow the letter of the law,” he said. “This is the new world order, where these companies just routinely, habitually thumb their nose at the law in every single city where they operate.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>(Update June 17, 1 p.m. \u003c/strong>The committee voted to remove all but the drug and alcohol testing and background check provisions from AB 612. Representatives from San Francisco International Airport spoke in favor of the bill.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>CPUC Puts the Hammer Down\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TNCs are also under the gun from the \u003ca href=\"http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M094/K268/94268677.PDF\" target=\"_blank\">CPUC's proposed modification\u003c/a> of its original TNC decision. These new regulations, if approved, could significantly increase the companies' insurance costs. The modified decision is scheduled to be heard on July 10 or after.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The proposal, released last Tuesday, makes no bones about clarifying the issue of whether drivers’ personal insurance would cover claims related to TNC accidents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A driver’s personal automobile policy is no way required to provide coverage or the duty to defend for TNC services,” the commission wrote. Reinforcing that stipulation, the commission states TNC policies “shall provide exclusive coverage, and assume all liability and the sole duty to defend, at dollar one,” which would prohibit the TNCs' reliance on excess insurance. The proposal does say that a driver’s insurance can be used to cover TNC accidents, but only if it is “specifically written for the purpose of covering transportation network services.” And those policies do not currently exist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like AB 2293, the latest CPUC proposal also extends the time that drivers are insured to Period 1.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The UberX driver who struck and killed Sofia Liu in San Francisco was reportedly in this interval between calls, so was not covered by Uber's policy, a limitation not widely known at the time. Subsequently, both \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/03/14/uber-lyft-insurance/\" target=\"_blank\">Uber and Lyft announced they had closed this gap\u003c/a> by offering up to $100,000 in coverage for drivers in the app on-and-waiting time. However, this won’t be good enough under the CPUC’s proposal, which appears to simply extend the $1 million insurance requirement to this period.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber and Lyft have also added $50,000 in collision insurance, and Uber offers $50,000 in comprehensive coverage (fire, theft and such). These are all contingent, however, on drivers having bought the same coverage on their personal auto policies. The CPUC’s proposal gives TNCs no such leeway, making collision and comprehensive mandatory regardless of a driver’s having purchased it on his own. Finally, the commission also wants to require $5,000 in coverage for medical payments related to injuries resulting from an accident. Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones is \u003ca href=\"//www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2014/06/12/uber-lyft-setback-insurance-chief-backs-proposal.html?page=3%E2%80%9D\">supporting the proposed CPUC changes\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>TNC Arguments Against\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the CPUC first floated the expansion of the mandatory $1 million coverage to include Period 1, Uber argued it could spur drivers to “(keep) the app open at all times, regardless of the drivers’ intent to accept a request for transportation service … solely to obtain the benefit from the increased insurance.” Uber also speculated that drivers not engaged in TNC work might turn on the app “immediately following an accident in order to try to secure the potentially significant financial benefit of the higher limits.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyft had similar objections: “(A) TNC driver could forget to close the app and be considered to be ‘providing TNC services’ in the middle of the night when the car is parked on the street and the driver is sleeping, or when the vehicle is being driven by another household member, or when it is being used to transport a driver’s child to soccer practice.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kara Cross of the Personal Insurance Federation of California says TNCs can guard against drivers gaming the system this way by monitoring their acceptance rates, tracking who has the app on while not accepting rides.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Stuart Nelson, the president of Point West Insurance, a property and casualty insurance broker in Sacramento, says the CPUC’s mandatory collision coverage could invite fraud. “You could damage a car personally and then say it was damaged during a drive,” he says. “I could have this pre-existing damage and then claim it happened as an Uber driver, and Uber has to cover it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>TNCs Would Pay More\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nelson, Kara Cross, and Jerry Sullivan, who runs an insurance brokerage business, all say TNCs will pay more for insurance if the CPUC changes go through.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"People who write livery are prepared to write the kind of exposure these guys will have,” Sullivan said. “But it’s going to cost them 30 to 35 percent more than they are now.” He said that increase only takes into account the greater expense of extending the period of time drivers are covered — the TNCs might incur additional increases for the additional collision and comprehensive insurance. Nelson thinks requiring TNCs to offer one-size-fits-all collision coverage to every driver could be a significant extra cost, because “there’s no way to properly insure the risk. We won’t know if we’re insuring a 1974 Volkswagen Bug or a Ferrari.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The taxi industry, for its part, is still not happy with the CPUC, because the proposed changes would not go into effect immediately, but after the current TNC policies expire or one year from the effective date of the decision, whichever comes first.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jerry Sullivan said he was in discussion with Lyft about 18 months ago to broker insurance coverage, but that the company balked when he quoted them a price for primary coverage from Lloyds of London. “They didn’t want to pay the price,” he says. “That’s not how they designed their business model.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Insurance Rules for Ride Services Like Lyft and UberX May Get Tougher",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_117417\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-117417\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/10/5996_transform.jpg\" alt=\"A protester mocks ride service Lyft and its signature pink mustaches atcab driver rally outside San Francisco City Hall in 2013. (Alex Emslie/KQED)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A protester mocks ride service Lyft and its signature pink mustache at cab driver rally outside San Francisco City Hall in 2013. (Alex Emslie/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the past two weeks a lot has happened on the increasingly volatile ride-service front. The California Public Utilities Commission will revisit the issue of insurance coverage for drivers who use their cars to carry paying passengers through companies like Lyft and UberX. As a result, these two firms are opposing the changes the CPUC is proposing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On April 10, the CPUC granted a rehearing on the insurance requirements it issued last year. At that time, as part of a decision that laid out rules and regulations for what the commission formally calls transportation network companies, or TNCs, the CPUC required the companies to provide at least $1 million in commercial liability insurance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now the CPUC is considering extending the time period during a driver's shift for which TNC coverage must be valid. A significant gap in this regard came to light on New Year's Eve, after a fatal accident involving an UberX driver in San Francisco. Although the driver's Uber app was open as he waited for another call to come in, Uber said he was excluded from its $1 million policy because he was not carrying a passenger or on the way to pick one up. That left the driver and the victim's family reliant on his much more minimal personal policy, which almost surely won't come near to paying the eventual liability costs. (The family has filed a lawsuit against the driver and Uber.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC is proposing that this gap be explicitly closed, by adding language that changes the definition of when a driver using his personal vehicle is \"providing TNC services\" to include \"when the TNC app is open and available to accept rides from a subscribing TNC passenger until that app has been closed.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC hopes to issue specifics about the rehearing in the next few weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both Lyft and Uber have filed comments opposing the change. Uber wrote, \"Adoption of this modification would result in a significant expansion of the period in which the TNC insurance requirements would be required.\" More specifically, Uber is objecting to the extension of the $1 million liability insurance requirement to this expanded time period. Last month, Uber said it had \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/03/14/uber-lyft-insurance/\" target=\"_blank\">expanded its insurance\u003c/a> to include a new policy that partially closes this gap, providing coverage for drivers logged onto its app but not currently on a call. However, the new policy's liability limit for drivers in that situation is only $50,000, a fraction of the $1 million the CPUC is now considering. Lyft \u003ca href=\"http://blog.lyft.com/posts/2014/4/11/lyft-insurance-overview\" target=\"_blank\">announced\u003c/a> on April 11 that it had added similar coverage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber wrote to the CPUC that requiring its insurance to cover the expanded period would be problematic, citing a scenario in which drivers have \"contracted with multiple TNCs and keeps all applications open at all times, in order to maximize the likelihood of procuring a (request).\" The company also wrote that the change might incentivize drivers to \"(keep) the App open at all times, regardless of the drivers' intent to accept a request for transportation service...solely to obtain the benefit from the increased insurance....\" Uber also speculated that drivers not engaged in TNC work might turn on the app \"immediately following an accident in order to try to secure the potentially significant financial benefit of the higher limits....\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyft has similar objections: \"(A) TNC driver could forget to close the app and be considered to be 'providing TNC services' in the middle of the night when the car is parked on the street and the driver is sleeping, or when the vehicle is being driven by another household member, or when it is being used to transport a driver's child to soccer practice.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition, the CPUC proposal would require TNCs to add the following coverages:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Provide $1 million per-incident coverage in uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, if there's an accident where the driver of another vehicle is at fault and does not have the proper insurance (UberX and Lyft say they already offer this.)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Provide $50,000 in comprehensive coverage related to theft, fire, natural disasters, vandalism and similar circumstances that can cause damage to a TNC vehicle. (Uber says it offers this.)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Provide $50,000 in collision coverage, related to damage to the driver's own vehicle when the TNC driver is at fault. (Lyft and Uber say they provide this coverage currently, but only if drivers have purchased it on their personal policies.)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Provide $5,000 in medical payments coverage, related to expenses due to bodily injury of TNC drivers or their passengers\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Department of Insurance Slams TNCs\u003cbr>\n\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As we \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2013/11/14/who-pays-when-ride-share-driver-crashes\" target=\"_blank\">reported\u003c/a> last year, a number of other issues have emerged concerning TNC insurance:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Ride-service companies like Lyft and UberX say drivers’ personal insurance policies will cover some claims, while the insurance industry has repeatedly stated personal policies routinely exclude coverage when vehicles are used commercially.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>The insurance industry says ride-service drivers will have to buy commercial insurance to be covered when they’re driving for hire and maybe even when they’re not.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Many ride-service drivers are \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/01/20/ride-sharing-insurance-lyft-uberx-sidecar/\" target=\"_blank\">keeping their status secret from their insurance companies\u003c/a> because they’re afraid of losing coverage. There have been at least two reported instances in which drivers have been dropped by their insurance companies when the companies discovered the drivers were working for TNCs.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003c/strong>In January, the California Department of Insurance issued a \u003ca href=\"http://www.insurance.ca.gov/0250-insurers/0300-insurers/0200-bulletins/bulletin-notices-commiss-opinion/TransNetwkDrvrs.cfm\">warning\u003c/a> to TNC drivers about some of these risks. Last month, the department held an investigative hearing on the issue. On April 7, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones wrote a letter to CPUC President Michael Peevey offering\u003ca href=\"http://www.insurance.ca.gov/video/0030VideoHearings/upload/CDI-CPUC20140407.pdf\" target=\"_blank\"> recommendations for more stringent insurance requirements\u003c/a>. Jones was blunt in describing the discrepancy between what TNCs such as Lyft, Uber and Sidecar have been claiming about the validity of drivers' personal insurance in TNC accidents and what the department found is the reality:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>TNCs are under the mistaken impression that personal automobile insurers cover now, planned to cover, or will cover the risk of TNC-related for-hire transportation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead, CDI finds that personal automobile insurers never planned or intended to underwrite for this risk, which did not exist, when the current policies were written. Insurers did not incorporate for-hire use when developing their rates. Adding this new TNC exposure to the personal automobile insurance \"pool\" may increase personal automobile insurance rates. The fact that some exclusions in personal automobile insurance policies may not be clear on this point should not be misinterpreted as an agreement to cover this new TNC risk.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>The department also found to be true what some drivers have told us: When prospective TNC drivers have been up-front with insurance companies about intending to use their vehicle for ride-service work, they have been unable to obtain coverage. Furthermore, the department said personal insurers do not plan on offering coverage for this type of mixed personal/commercial use of vehicles. That would leave ride-service drivers with seemingly only one option: to buy more expensive commercial insurance. But the department found even that option is not currently available to drivers:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Insurance companies and brokers tell CDI that Californians cannot purchase ... livery insurance on a personal vehicle.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bill Clark, a driver for Luxor Cab in San Francisco who wanted to switch to UberX, expressed his disappointment after hitting an insurance roadblock. Clark wanted to quit the declining taxi business and experience the freedom that many drivers have told us is one of the biggest attractions of working for Lyft and UberX. But he aborted his attempt at purchasing an Uber-financed vehicle due to the lack of available insurance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I could get a brand-new Prius, drive any time I wanted to, and just make money,\" Clark said. \"That’s like a dream; too good to be true. In fact, it was too good to be true. You can’t get insurance on them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Overall Decision Won't Be Reversed\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The TNCs won a victory of sorts when the CPUC said it will not be reversing itself on its overall decision to allow ride-service companies like Lyft and UberX to operate in the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC on April 10 rejected a request for a rehearing of the September 2013 ruling, which created the category of TNCs. The decision gave official state sanction to these firms that had once been hit with cease-and-desist letters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rehearing was requested by the Taxicab Paratransit Association of California (TPAC). Local taxi companies, of course, have been bleeding customers in towns where Lyft, UberX and other ride-service companies operate. In San Francisco, at least, cab drivers have been defecting from taxi companies in order to work for the new companies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TPAC made several arguments in trying to get the decision overturned:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>That the decision violated the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>The CPUC responded that CEQA does not apply because the regulations the TNC regulations the commission issued have no \"direct physical impact,\" not do they create a \"reasonably foreseeable indirect change\" in the same.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>That the CPUC does not have jurisdiction over TNCs because they are, in reality, taxis, and therefore subject to local oversight.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>The CPUC responded that TNCs are not cabs, because they operate strictly on a \"prearranged basis,\" as opposed to being able to pick up street hails, as taxis do.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>That the decision violated the equal protection clauses of the U.S. and California constitutions.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>The CPUC said invocation of equal protection laws requires the two relevant parties to be \"similarly situated\" under the law, and that because TNCs are not cabs, this is not the case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>That the decision violates the Public Utilities Code because it exempts individual drivers from having to obtain permits, as opposed to individual companies.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>The CPUC responded that the utilities code allows for firms or corporations as well as individuals to be licensed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mandatory Drug Testing, Commercial Plates\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to the insurance considerations, the CPUC granted a rehearing on the issues of mandatory drug testing and commercial license plate requirements, which are currently not mandated for TNC drivers and vehicles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The commission wrote: \"We acknowledge that the decision does not fully address\" the code sections that address these issues, and that it would grant a limited rehearing on them.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In other ride-service news, according to the \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/UberX-passengers-to-pay-1-safe-rides-fee-5414139.php\" target=\"_blank\">San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/a>, the receipts of UberX passengers will now include a $1 \"safe rides fee.\" Lyft has been charging a $1 \"trust and safety fee\" since December.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chronicle reporter Carolyn Said wrote: \"San Francisco's Uber said the fee demonstrates its 'continued commitment to safety' and helps fund increased costs for background checks, motor vehicle checks, driver safety education, current and future safety features in its app, and insurance.\"\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_117417\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-117417\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/10/5996_transform.jpg\" alt=\"A protester mocks ride service Lyft and its signature pink mustaches atcab driver rally outside San Francisco City Hall in 2013. (Alex Emslie/KQED)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A protester mocks ride service Lyft and its signature pink mustache at cab driver rally outside San Francisco City Hall in 2013. (Alex Emslie/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the past two weeks a lot has happened on the increasingly volatile ride-service front. The California Public Utilities Commission will revisit the issue of insurance coverage for drivers who use their cars to carry paying passengers through companies like Lyft and UberX. As a result, these two firms are opposing the changes the CPUC is proposing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On April 10, the CPUC granted a rehearing on the insurance requirements it issued last year. At that time, as part of a decision that laid out rules and regulations for what the commission formally calls transportation network companies, or TNCs, the CPUC required the companies to provide at least $1 million in commercial liability insurance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now the CPUC is considering extending the time period during a driver's shift for which TNC coverage must be valid. A significant gap in this regard came to light on New Year's Eve, after a fatal accident involving an UberX driver in San Francisco. Although the driver's Uber app was open as he waited for another call to come in, Uber said he was excluded from its $1 million policy because he was not carrying a passenger or on the way to pick one up. That left the driver and the victim's family reliant on his much more minimal personal policy, which almost surely won't come near to paying the eventual liability costs. (The family has filed a lawsuit against the driver and Uber.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC is proposing that this gap be explicitly closed, by adding language that changes the definition of when a driver using his personal vehicle is \"providing TNC services\" to include \"when the TNC app is open and available to accept rides from a subscribing TNC passenger until that app has been closed.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC hopes to issue specifics about the rehearing in the next few weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both Lyft and Uber have filed comments opposing the change. Uber wrote, \"Adoption of this modification would result in a significant expansion of the period in which the TNC insurance requirements would be required.\" More specifically, Uber is objecting to the extension of the $1 million liability insurance requirement to this expanded time period. Last month, Uber said it had \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/03/14/uber-lyft-insurance/\" target=\"_blank\">expanded its insurance\u003c/a> to include a new policy that partially closes this gap, providing coverage for drivers logged onto its app but not currently on a call. However, the new policy's liability limit for drivers in that situation is only $50,000, a fraction of the $1 million the CPUC is now considering. Lyft \u003ca href=\"http://blog.lyft.com/posts/2014/4/11/lyft-insurance-overview\" target=\"_blank\">announced\u003c/a> on April 11 that it had added similar coverage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber wrote to the CPUC that requiring its insurance to cover the expanded period would be problematic, citing a scenario in which drivers have \"contracted with multiple TNCs and keeps all applications open at all times, in order to maximize the likelihood of procuring a (request).\" The company also wrote that the change might incentivize drivers to \"(keep) the App open at all times, regardless of the drivers' intent to accept a request for transportation service...solely to obtain the benefit from the increased insurance....\" Uber also speculated that drivers not engaged in TNC work might turn on the app \"immediately following an accident in order to try to secure the potentially significant financial benefit of the higher limits....\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyft has similar objections: \"(A) TNC driver could forget to close the app and be considered to be 'providing TNC services' in the middle of the night when the car is parked on the street and the driver is sleeping, or when the vehicle is being driven by another household member, or when it is being used to transport a driver's child to soccer practice.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition, the CPUC proposal would require TNCs to add the following coverages:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Provide $1 million per-incident coverage in uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, if there's an accident where the driver of another vehicle is at fault and does not have the proper insurance (UberX and Lyft say they already offer this.)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Provide $50,000 in comprehensive coverage related to theft, fire, natural disasters, vandalism and similar circumstances that can cause damage to a TNC vehicle. (Uber says it offers this.)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Provide $50,000 in collision coverage, related to damage to the driver's own vehicle when the TNC driver is at fault. (Lyft and Uber say they provide this coverage currently, but only if drivers have purchased it on their personal policies.)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Provide $5,000 in medical payments coverage, related to expenses due to bodily injury of TNC drivers or their passengers\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Department of Insurance Slams TNCs\u003cbr>\n\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As we \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2013/11/14/who-pays-when-ride-share-driver-crashes\" target=\"_blank\">reported\u003c/a> last year, a number of other issues have emerged concerning TNC insurance:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Ride-service companies like Lyft and UberX say drivers’ personal insurance policies will cover some claims, while the insurance industry has repeatedly stated personal policies routinely exclude coverage when vehicles are used commercially.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>The insurance industry says ride-service drivers will have to buy commercial insurance to be covered when they’re driving for hire and maybe even when they’re not.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Many ride-service drivers are \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/01/20/ride-sharing-insurance-lyft-uberx-sidecar/\" target=\"_blank\">keeping their status secret from their insurance companies\u003c/a> because they’re afraid of losing coverage. There have been at least two reported instances in which drivers have been dropped by their insurance companies when the companies discovered the drivers were working for TNCs.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003c/strong>In January, the California Department of Insurance issued a \u003ca href=\"http://www.insurance.ca.gov/0250-insurers/0300-insurers/0200-bulletins/bulletin-notices-commiss-opinion/TransNetwkDrvrs.cfm\">warning\u003c/a> to TNC drivers about some of these risks. Last month, the department held an investigative hearing on the issue. On April 7, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones wrote a letter to CPUC President Michael Peevey offering\u003ca href=\"http://www.insurance.ca.gov/video/0030VideoHearings/upload/CDI-CPUC20140407.pdf\" target=\"_blank\"> recommendations for more stringent insurance requirements\u003c/a>. Jones was blunt in describing the discrepancy between what TNCs such as Lyft, Uber and Sidecar have been claiming about the validity of drivers' personal insurance in TNC accidents and what the department found is the reality:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>TNCs are under the mistaken impression that personal automobile insurers cover now, planned to cover, or will cover the risk of TNC-related for-hire transportation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead, CDI finds that personal automobile insurers never planned or intended to underwrite for this risk, which did not exist, when the current policies were written. Insurers did not incorporate for-hire use when developing their rates. Adding this new TNC exposure to the personal automobile insurance \"pool\" may increase personal automobile insurance rates. The fact that some exclusions in personal automobile insurance policies may not be clear on this point should not be misinterpreted as an agreement to cover this new TNC risk.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>The department also found to be true what some drivers have told us: When prospective TNC drivers have been up-front with insurance companies about intending to use their vehicle for ride-service work, they have been unable to obtain coverage. Furthermore, the department said personal insurers do not plan on offering coverage for this type of mixed personal/commercial use of vehicles. That would leave ride-service drivers with seemingly only one option: to buy more expensive commercial insurance. But the department found even that option is not currently available to drivers:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Insurance companies and brokers tell CDI that Californians cannot purchase ... livery insurance on a personal vehicle.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bill Clark, a driver for Luxor Cab in San Francisco who wanted to switch to UberX, expressed his disappointment after hitting an insurance roadblock. Clark wanted to quit the declining taxi business and experience the freedom that many drivers have told us is one of the biggest attractions of working for Lyft and UberX. But he aborted his attempt at purchasing an Uber-financed vehicle due to the lack of available insurance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I could get a brand-new Prius, drive any time I wanted to, and just make money,\" Clark said. \"That’s like a dream; too good to be true. In fact, it was too good to be true. You can’t get insurance on them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Overall Decision Won't Be Reversed\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The TNCs won a victory of sorts when the CPUC said it will not be reversing itself on its overall decision to allow ride-service companies like Lyft and UberX to operate in the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC on April 10 rejected a request for a rehearing of the September 2013 ruling, which created the category of TNCs. The decision gave official state sanction to these firms that had once been hit with cease-and-desist letters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rehearing was requested by the Taxicab Paratransit Association of California (TPAC). Local taxi companies, of course, have been bleeding customers in towns where Lyft, UberX and other ride-service companies operate. In San Francisco, at least, cab drivers have been defecting from taxi companies in order to work for the new companies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TPAC made several arguments in trying to get the decision overturned:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>That the decision violated the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>The CPUC responded that CEQA does not apply because the regulations the TNC regulations the commission issued have no \"direct physical impact,\" not do they create a \"reasonably foreseeable indirect change\" in the same.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>That the CPUC does not have jurisdiction over TNCs because they are, in reality, taxis, and therefore subject to local oversight.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>The CPUC responded that TNCs are not cabs, because they operate strictly on a \"prearranged basis,\" as opposed to being able to pick up street hails, as taxis do.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>That the decision violated the equal protection clauses of the U.S. and California constitutions.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>The CPUC said invocation of equal protection laws requires the two relevant parties to be \"similarly situated\" under the law, and that because TNCs are not cabs, this is not the case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>That the decision violates the Public Utilities Code because it exempts individual drivers from having to obtain permits, as opposed to individual companies.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>The CPUC responded that the utilities code allows for firms or corporations as well as individuals to be licensed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mandatory Drug Testing, Commercial Plates\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to the insurance considerations, the CPUC granted a rehearing on the issues of mandatory drug testing and commercial license plate requirements, which are currently not mandated for TNC drivers and vehicles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The commission wrote: \"We acknowledge that the decision does not fully address\" the code sections that address these issues, and that it would grant a limited rehearing on them.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In other ride-service news, according to the \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/UberX-passengers-to-pay-1-safe-rides-fee-5414139.php\" target=\"_blank\">San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/a>, the receipts of UberX passengers will now include a $1 \"safe rides fee.\" Lyft has been charging a $1 \"trust and safety fee\" since December.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chronicle reporter Carolyn Said wrote: \"San Francisco's Uber said the fee demonstrates its 'continued commitment to safety' and helps fund increased costs for background checks, motor vehicle checks, driver safety education, current and future safety features in its app, and insurance.\"\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"disqusTitle": "Lyft, UberX Receive 3-Year Licenses to Operate in California",
"title": "Lyft, UberX Receive 3-Year Licenses to Operate in California",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_118115\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-118115\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/11/lyft.jpg\" alt=\"Two agents from the same insurance company gave TNC driver different answers on whether they could provide coverage. (Deborah Svoboda/KQED)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Photo by Deborah Svoboda/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In further signs that ride services like Lyft and UberX are probably here to stay, the California Public Utilities Commission last week issued both companies three-year permits to operate in the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyft said in a \u003ca href=\"http://blog.lyft.com/posts/2014/4/10/lyft-receives-tnc-permit-from-cpuc\" target=\"_blank\">blog post\u003c/a> last week that it was \"thrilled\" to announce the issuance of the permit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"This is exciting progress,\" the post said. \"The CPUC’s framework serves as a sound example for other jurisdictions who are considering regulations for this new, peer-to-peer model. By supporting innovation and technology, these city and state leaders have the opportunity of paving the way for providing safe, affordable and sustainable transportation and we’re thrilled to be working with them to improve our cities of tomorrow.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An \u003ca href=\"http://blog.uber.com/TNCpermit\" target=\"_blank\">Uber post\u003c/a> announcing its permit said, \"The unprecedented growth in this industry and the leadership shown by California’s regulatory leaders sends a clear message. The innovation economy is thriving in California and the roadmap is simple: public safety and consumer choice go hand in hand.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyft and UberX had been operating conditionally as the CPUC reviewed their applications. Just last month, the commission sent letters to both companies informing them they needed to correct \"deficiencies\" in their applications within 60 days or have them denied. The CPUC specifically singled out questions about the companies' vehicle inspection programs. As reported by the \u003ca href=\"http://blog.sfgate.com/techchron/2014/03/07/california-to-lyft-uber-sidecar-wingz-get-your-act-together/\" target=\"_blank\">San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/a>:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>The letter asked them to clarify\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Who is conducting the vehicle inspection?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>What qualifications do they possess to conduct the inspection?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Any copies of contracts with outside vendors that may provide these services.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>The CPUC also said that UberX must make its driver safety program mandatory, the Chronicle reported.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UberX's \u003ca href=\"http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/NR/rdonlyres/E3470797-2DCB-463F-B898-E5F2697850BE/0/RaiserCALLCPermit.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">permit\u003c/a> (issued to its subsidiary, Rasier), is especially interesting because, as we found in a \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/01/30/lyft-uberx-driver-safety\" target=\"_blank\">report\u003c/a> earlier this year, the company was conducting inspections strictly by reviewing photos of applicants' vehicles. The CPUC decision requires TNCs to either conduct a 19-point inspection “prior to allowing the driver to operate the vehicle” or to have the vehicle inspected at a facility licensed by the California Bureau of Automotive Repair. None of the drivers we spoke to reported anyone from UberX ever looking at their cars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You have to submit photos of every angle of your car, and interior photos,” said Tyler Granlund, an UberX driver in Los Angeles. “Those had to be approved before you could drive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC inspection mandate includes things like brakes, steering, headlights, seat belts, muffler and exhaust -- difficult items to assess, seemingly, from photos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyft, for its part, assigns what it calls \"mentors\" to inspect the vehicles of prospective drivers, providing checklists as guidance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to the inspection requirements, the CPUC mandated the establishment of driver-training programs by TNCS to \"ensure that all drivers are safely operating the vehicle prior to the driver being able to offer service.\" The commission said TNCs had to report annually the number of drivers completing the course, and it gave each company 45 days to file its training program. UberX's filing was notable for its brevity: one page (including double spacing and double paragraph breaks). Filing as Rasier, its ride-service subsidiary, Uber submitted under a heading of “\u003ca href=\"http://www.scribd.com/doc/203225658/Rasier-Driver-Training-Program%E2%80%9D\" target=\"_blank\">Driver Training Program\u003c/a>” exactly four paragraphs, with the actual steps the company plans to enhance driver training expressed in two sentences:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>Rasier will also recommend that partners with less than five years of driving history take a driver training course at a school listed in the California DMV’s Occupational License Status Information System database. For each California city where Rasier partners operate, Rasier will provide, during the application or onboarding process, a list of three such local driving schools.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003c/strong>At the time, Uber told us it was \"in the process of preparing additional information for the CPUC.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We have asked the CPUC what changes Uber has made to its inspection and driver training programs in order for it to receive the permit, and are waiting to hear back. We also have a call out to Uber.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before the latest round of permits were issued, the CPUC had approved licenses for Wingz and Summon, two smaller TNCs.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_118115\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-118115\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/11/lyft.jpg\" alt=\"Two agents from the same insurance company gave TNC driver different answers on whether they could provide coverage. (Deborah Svoboda/KQED)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Photo by Deborah Svoboda/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In further signs that ride services like Lyft and UberX are probably here to stay, the California Public Utilities Commission last week issued both companies three-year permits to operate in the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyft said in a \u003ca href=\"http://blog.lyft.com/posts/2014/4/10/lyft-receives-tnc-permit-from-cpuc\" target=\"_blank\">blog post\u003c/a> last week that it was \"thrilled\" to announce the issuance of the permit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"This is exciting progress,\" the post said. \"The CPUC’s framework serves as a sound example for other jurisdictions who are considering regulations for this new, peer-to-peer model. By supporting innovation and technology, these city and state leaders have the opportunity of paving the way for providing safe, affordable and sustainable transportation and we’re thrilled to be working with them to improve our cities of tomorrow.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An \u003ca href=\"http://blog.uber.com/TNCpermit\" target=\"_blank\">Uber post\u003c/a> announcing its permit said, \"The unprecedented growth in this industry and the leadership shown by California’s regulatory leaders sends a clear message. The innovation economy is thriving in California and the roadmap is simple: public safety and consumer choice go hand in hand.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyft and UberX had been operating conditionally as the CPUC reviewed their applications. Just last month, the commission sent letters to both companies informing them they needed to correct \"deficiencies\" in their applications within 60 days or have them denied. The CPUC specifically singled out questions about the companies' vehicle inspection programs. As reported by the \u003ca href=\"http://blog.sfgate.com/techchron/2014/03/07/california-to-lyft-uber-sidecar-wingz-get-your-act-together/\" target=\"_blank\">San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/a>:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>The letter asked them to clarify\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Who is conducting the vehicle inspection?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>What qualifications do they possess to conduct the inspection?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Any copies of contracts with outside vendors that may provide these services.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>The CPUC also said that UberX must make its driver safety program mandatory, the Chronicle reported.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UberX's \u003ca href=\"http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/NR/rdonlyres/E3470797-2DCB-463F-B898-E5F2697850BE/0/RaiserCALLCPermit.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">permit\u003c/a> (issued to its subsidiary, Rasier), is especially interesting because, as we found in a \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/01/30/lyft-uberx-driver-safety\" target=\"_blank\">report\u003c/a> earlier this year, the company was conducting inspections strictly by reviewing photos of applicants' vehicles. The CPUC decision requires TNCs to either conduct a 19-point inspection “prior to allowing the driver to operate the vehicle” or to have the vehicle inspected at a facility licensed by the California Bureau of Automotive Repair. None of the drivers we spoke to reported anyone from UberX ever looking at their cars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You have to submit photos of every angle of your car, and interior photos,” said Tyler Granlund, an UberX driver in Los Angeles. “Those had to be approved before you could drive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC inspection mandate includes things like brakes, steering, headlights, seat belts, muffler and exhaust -- difficult items to assess, seemingly, from photos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyft, for its part, assigns what it calls \"mentors\" to inspect the vehicles of prospective drivers, providing checklists as guidance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to the inspection requirements, the CPUC mandated the establishment of driver-training programs by TNCS to \"ensure that all drivers are safely operating the vehicle prior to the driver being able to offer service.\" The commission said TNCs had to report annually the number of drivers completing the course, and it gave each company 45 days to file its training program. UberX's filing was notable for its brevity: one page (including double spacing and double paragraph breaks). Filing as Rasier, its ride-service subsidiary, Uber submitted under a heading of “\u003ca href=\"http://www.scribd.com/doc/203225658/Rasier-Driver-Training-Program%E2%80%9D\" target=\"_blank\">Driver Training Program\u003c/a>” exactly four paragraphs, with the actual steps the company plans to enhance driver training expressed in two sentences:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>Rasier will also recommend that partners with less than five years of driving history take a driver training course at a school listed in the California DMV’s Occupational License Status Information System database. For each California city where Rasier partners operate, Rasier will provide, during the application or onboarding process, a list of three such local driving schools.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003c/strong>At the time, Uber told us it was \"in the process of preparing additional information for the CPUC.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We have asked the CPUC what changes Uber has made to its inspection and driver training programs in order for it to receive the permit, and are waiting to hear back. We also have a call out to Uber.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before the latest round of permits were issued, the CPUC had approved licenses for Wingz and Summon, two smaller TNCs.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "after-leak-uber-publishes-its-insurance-policy-read-the-full-text",
"title": "Uber's Controversial Insurance Policy is Secret No More",
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"headTitle": "Uber’s Controversial Insurance Policy is Secret No More | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_126917\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 320px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-126917\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/01/RS8866_UberX_3-lpr-640x426.jpg\" alt=\"The California Public Utilities Commission requires Transportation Network Companies like UberX to display signage. (Jeremy Raff/KQED)\" width=\"320\" height=\"213\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Photo: Jeremy Raff/KQED) \u003ccite>(Jeremy Raff/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A couple of days ago, the \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfbg.com/politics/2014/03/24/uber%E2%80%99s-secret-%E2%80%9Cproprietary%E2%80%9D-insurance-policy-leaked\">San Francisco Bay Guardian\u003c/a> got hold of the holy grail of Lyft/UberX detractors, a document long sought by taxi companies and others calling for greater oversight of these ride services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Monday night, the Guardian posted \u003ca href=\"http://www.scribd.com/doc/214351992/Leaked-Uber-Insurance-Policy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Uber’s secret insurance policy\u003c/a>. The weekly said that someone sent it the document anonymously, and that it was sent to a number of taxi-industry advocates as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Apparently in response, Uber soon \u003ca href=\"http://blog.uber.com/ridesharinginsurancepolicy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">posted the policy\u003c/a> on its own website. Uber wrote in a \u003ca href=\"http://blog.uber.com/ridesharinginsurancepolicy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">blog post\u003c/a>: “We are confident it is a best-in-class policy and hope that this additional transparency addresses any remaining questions about the insurance provided to ridesharing partners on our platform.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The policy was written by James River Insurance Co., based in Richmond, Virginia. How much Uber is paying in premiums is redacted in both the leaked and company versions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Secrecy an issue\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The taxi industry across the country has made a big issue of the non-public nature of the ride-services’ policies. In covering the issue over the past year, we have frequently heard from taxi companies, drivers and regulators that because these documents have been seen only by the California Public Utilities Commission, no one knows what exclusions and other conditions might get the companies off the hook — and its drivers on the hook — for liability costs in an accident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[contextly_sidebar id=”249dc16385ce75265eee36c75804d273″]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But early indications are that those looking for a smoking gun to implicate Uber as engaging in insurance hocus-pocus may be disappointed. The Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association — which appreciates the technological marvel of loosely regulated, app-based dispatch startups about as much as the music industry liked Napster — focused on the name of the company listed as insured on the policy. Under “name of insured,” it says “Rasier LLC,” which is a subsidiary of Uber.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is some sort of corporate shell game,” said William Rouse, past president of the TLPA and currently general manager of Los Angeles Yellow Cab. “The policy states that insurance kicks in only when Rasier LLC is liable. But Uber — not Rasier LLC — is the company providing for-hire transportation across the U.S. This could be the mechanism Uber uses to avoid paying out any insurance whatsoever. Why would any city allow Uber to operate on its streets with the company’s deceitful practices now on full display?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, “Uber Technologies Inc.” is indeed named as an “additional insured” in an addendum to the policy. (\u003cstrong>Update Thursday\u003c/strong>: Robert Passmore, senior director of personal lines policy at the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, told the \u003ca href=\"http://blog.sfgate.com/techchron/2014/03/27/what-does-ubers-1-million-commercial-policy-cover/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/a> this is not an unusual way to do things.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The insurance issue came to the fore after a fatal New Year’s Eve accident involving an UberX driver in San Francisco. Syed Muzaffar, driving an SUV, drove into a family in a Tenderloin crosswalk, killing 6-year-old Sofia Liu. Uber said the driver was not covered under the $1 million liability policy mandated by the CPUC because he was between calls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/03/14/uber-lyft-insurance/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">closed that gap to a certain degree\u003c/a> two weeks ago, when it announced it had added coverage for the period when a driver is logged into its app but not yet on a call. (Lyft said it would similarly augment its coverage.) However, UberX’s added coverage is capped at $100,000 total per incident for bodily injury and $25,000 per incident for property damage, the company said. That’s far less than the New Year’s Eve accident, for example, is likely to incur in terms of liability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Controversy over insurance coverage has become a sort of Achilles’ heel for the fast-growing ride-service industry as it fights numerous \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/03/18/lyft-uber/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">regulatory battles\u003c/a> in multiple cities and states. In January, the California Department of Insurance issued a \u003ca href=\"http://www.insurance.ca.gov/0250-insurers/0300-insurers/0200-bulletins/bulletin-notices-commiss-opinion/TransNetwkDrvrs.cfm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">warning to ride-service drivers\u003c/a> about potential gaps in coverage that could leave them liable in an accident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Chicago recently, the City Council actually \u003ca href=\"http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-03-14/news/chi-city-council-subpoenas-insurance-records-from-rideshare-firms-20140313_1_ride-share-lyft-and-sidecar-taxi-drivers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">subpoenaed the policies\u003c/a> of UberX, Lyft and Sidecar in search of holes that could leave drivers and passengers unprotected. Meanwhile, there have been at least two reports of insurers canceling the personal auto coverage of ride-service drivers, leading many of them to \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/01/20/ride-sharing-insurance-lyft-uberx-sidecar/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hide their status as commercial drivers\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The policy: Excess vs. primary insurance\u003cbr>\n\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can take a look at the insurance policy, which makes for fascinating reading if you’re an actuary, \u003ca href=\"http://www.scribd.com/doc/214351992/Leaked-Uber-Insurance-Policy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here\u003c/a> or embedded at the end of this article. If you follow this stuff, I imagine you’re going to hear a fair bit of analysis over the next few days. We asked Pete Moraga of the \u003ca href=\"http://www.iinc.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Insurance Information Network of California\u003c/a>, someone who has expressed skepticism to us in the past about ride-service insurance, to take a look. He told us the contract contains a lot of standard boilerplate language and exclusions found in other insurance contracts. The \u003ca href=\"http://blog.sfgate.com/techchron/2014/03/27/what-does-ubers-1-million-commercial-policy-cover/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/a> showed the policy to a couple of other insurance industry professionals, and they agreed there is nothing unusual about the policy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s still early, but all in all one would have to say the release of the policy has been a positive development for Uber and maybe the entire TNC industry. Why? Because, as previously mentioned, the taxi industry has been attempting to use the refusal of the TNCs to make their insurance policies public to sow distrust in them and create a sense that the coverage likely includes a host of conditions unfavorable to drivers and the public. So far, that does not look to be true.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That doesn’t mean there aren’t still issues with TNC insurance. Uber’s policy functions as excess insurance for drivers who contract with the company. Excess insurance is meant to supplement a primary policy, paying claims where the primary insurance leaves off. The TNCs have always said that should a driver’s personal insurance fail to cover an accident, their excess coverage will “drop down” to become primary insurance, picking up the entire tab if necessary. But the insurance industry has said repeatedly that drivers’ personal policies will \u003cem>never\u003c/em> cover an accident involving a ride-service vehicle, because personal policies routinely exclude coverage for commercial use. TNCs, however, have insisted that claims are getting through on personal policies. To which some in the insurance and taxi industries have replied that’s only because those insurers don’t actually \u003cem>know \u003c/em>that the accidents occurred during a TNC call.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>OK, to the seven insurance industry people still reading, let’s put it this way: During a hearing last week on TNC insurance issues held by California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, \u003ca href=\"http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/2014/03/insurance-groups-uber-lyft-sidecar.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bizj_sanfrancisco+%28San+Francisco+Business+Times%29\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">insurance groups said the ride-services were basically getting a free ride\u003c/a>, no pun intended, by relying on drivers’ personal insurance to cover some claims.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s one reason the taxi industry is so angry: They pay for primary insurance, which is more expensive because it covers more claims than excess insurance. When the CPUC hammered out its TNC rules last year, the California Department of Insurance issued an opinion that its preferred option would have been to require that ride services carry \u003ca href=\"http://www.irmi.com/online/insurance-glossary/terms/p/primary-cover.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">primary insurance\u003c/a>, because a dual system of commercial excess insurance sitting on top of personal primary insurance could result in confusion to consumers and drivers who need to file claims.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the department also said an excess, drop-down policy would suffice as the next-best thing, and the CPUC declined to require that TNCs get primary insurance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pete Moraga, from the Insurance Information Network of California, said Uber’s policy still “begs the question: Did (Uber) purchase the excess policy knowing that drivers’ own policies would not cover commercial use of the auto, or did they try to imply to drivers signing up that their own personal policy would cover them?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lane Kasselman of Uber’s communications department responded with this:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our teams work with partner drivers to answer any questions they have about a range of issues, including insurance. As a matter of law, all California drivers are required to have auto insurance, so we require that drivers have it to partner with us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Personal auto insurance is a contract between the driver and their insurer. Most personal auto insurance policies contain an exclusion for transporting passengers for hire, that’s why we have the commercial policy in place. We tell drivers to report all accidents to their personal insurance provider, and we report it to our insurance at the same time. We expect drivers to be truthful with all parties involved.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>CPUC takes another look\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday the CPUC issued a \u003ca href=\"http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M089/K247/89247822.PDF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">call for comments\u003c/a> on proposed modifications to the regulations it issued last year. Among the changes floated is the requirement that TNC insurance go into effect “when the TNC app is open and available to accept rides” — in other words, between calls. This is a change that UberX and Lyft have said they have already made, and one that would have extended coverage to Syed Muzaffar, the UberX driver in the New Year’s Eve accident, who was waiting to be assigned a passenger when the accident occurred.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC is also proposing that TNCs be required to offer $1,000,000 in uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage; $50,000 in comprehensive coverage (theft, fire, vandalism); $50,000 in collision coverage (when the accident is the driver’s fault); and $5,000 in medical payments due to bodily injury sustained by the driver or passengers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The document from CPUC Commissioner Michael Peevey said, “While efforts to craft market-based solutions are certainly appreciated, not all of the TNCs who have filed applications with the Commission have voluntarily proposed solutions to close the acknowledged insurance gap. Thus, the assigned Commissioner believes it is incumbent on the Commission to consider fashioning a remedy that will apply on an industry-wide basis.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber said it “strongly supports requests for public comment,” because “for far too long transportation regulation has been made in the dark, and it’s long past time the riding public had a say.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Note: In t\u003c/em>\u003cem>he original \u003c/em>\u003cem>version of this \u003c/em>\u003cem>article, one insurance expert called into question whether the text of Uber’s policy specified that drivers would be covered if their personal insurance policy declined to do so. However, when \u003c/em>\u003cem>U\u003c/em>\u003cem>ber pointed out \u003c/em>\u003cem>to us \u003c/em>\u003cem>where that issue was \u003c/em>\u003cem>in fact \u003c/em>\u003cem>addressed, the expert agreed with them\u003c/em>\u003cem>, and therefore \u003c/em>\u003cem>we \u003c/em>\u003cem>have deleted that section of the \u003c/em>\u003cem>original\u003c/em>\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003cem>article\u003c/em>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv>\u003c/div>\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 12px auto 6px auto;font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-style: normal;font-variant: normal;font-weight: normal;font-size: 14px;line-height: normal\">\u003ca style=\"text-decoration: underline\" title=\"View Leaked Uber Insurance Policy on Scribd\" href=\"http://www.scribd.com/doc/214351992/Leaked-Uber-Insurance-Policy\">Uber Insurance Policy\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"doc_30317\" src=\"//www.scribd.com/embeds/214351992/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-2dmro6l4w8g0wd3j8v5g&show_recommendations=true\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" width=\"100%\" height=\"600\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_126917\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 320px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-126917\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/01/RS8866_UberX_3-lpr-640x426.jpg\" alt=\"The California Public Utilities Commission requires Transportation Network Companies like UberX to display signage. (Jeremy Raff/KQED)\" width=\"320\" height=\"213\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Photo: Jeremy Raff/KQED) \u003ccite>(Jeremy Raff/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A couple of days ago, the \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfbg.com/politics/2014/03/24/uber%E2%80%99s-secret-%E2%80%9Cproprietary%E2%80%9D-insurance-policy-leaked\">San Francisco Bay Guardian\u003c/a> got hold of the holy grail of Lyft/UberX detractors, a document long sought by taxi companies and others calling for greater oversight of these ride services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Monday night, the Guardian posted \u003ca href=\"http://www.scribd.com/doc/214351992/Leaked-Uber-Insurance-Policy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Uber’s secret insurance policy\u003c/a>. The weekly said that someone sent it the document anonymously, and that it was sent to a number of taxi-industry advocates as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Apparently in response, Uber soon \u003ca href=\"http://blog.uber.com/ridesharinginsurancepolicy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">posted the policy\u003c/a> on its own website. Uber wrote in a \u003ca href=\"http://blog.uber.com/ridesharinginsurancepolicy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">blog post\u003c/a>: “We are confident it is a best-in-class policy and hope that this additional transparency addresses any remaining questions about the insurance provided to ridesharing partners on our platform.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The policy was written by James River Insurance Co., based in Richmond, Virginia. How much Uber is paying in premiums is redacted in both the leaked and company versions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Secrecy an issue\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The taxi industry across the country has made a big issue of the non-public nature of the ride-services’ policies. In covering the issue over the past year, we have frequently heard from taxi companies, drivers and regulators that because these documents have been seen only by the California Public Utilities Commission, no one knows what exclusions and other conditions might get the companies off the hook — and its drivers on the hook — for liability costs in an accident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But early indications are that those looking for a smoking gun to implicate Uber as engaging in insurance hocus-pocus may be disappointed. The Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association — which appreciates the technological marvel of loosely regulated, app-based dispatch startups about as much as the music industry liked Napster — focused on the name of the company listed as insured on the policy. Under “name of insured,” it says “Rasier LLC,” which is a subsidiary of Uber.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is some sort of corporate shell game,” said William Rouse, past president of the TLPA and currently general manager of Los Angeles Yellow Cab. “The policy states that insurance kicks in only when Rasier LLC is liable. But Uber — not Rasier LLC — is the company providing for-hire transportation across the U.S. This could be the mechanism Uber uses to avoid paying out any insurance whatsoever. Why would any city allow Uber to operate on its streets with the company’s deceitful practices now on full display?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, “Uber Technologies Inc.” is indeed named as an “additional insured” in an addendum to the policy. (\u003cstrong>Update Thursday\u003c/strong>: Robert Passmore, senior director of personal lines policy at the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, told the \u003ca href=\"http://blog.sfgate.com/techchron/2014/03/27/what-does-ubers-1-million-commercial-policy-cover/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/a> this is not an unusual way to do things.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The insurance issue came to the fore after a fatal New Year’s Eve accident involving an UberX driver in San Francisco. Syed Muzaffar, driving an SUV, drove into a family in a Tenderloin crosswalk, killing 6-year-old Sofia Liu. Uber said the driver was not covered under the $1 million liability policy mandated by the CPUC because he was between calls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/03/14/uber-lyft-insurance/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">closed that gap to a certain degree\u003c/a> two weeks ago, when it announced it had added coverage for the period when a driver is logged into its app but not yet on a call. (Lyft said it would similarly augment its coverage.) However, UberX’s added coverage is capped at $100,000 total per incident for bodily injury and $25,000 per incident for property damage, the company said. That’s far less than the New Year’s Eve accident, for example, is likely to incur in terms of liability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Controversy over insurance coverage has become a sort of Achilles’ heel for the fast-growing ride-service industry as it fights numerous \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/03/18/lyft-uber/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">regulatory battles\u003c/a> in multiple cities and states. In January, the California Department of Insurance issued a \u003ca href=\"http://www.insurance.ca.gov/0250-insurers/0300-insurers/0200-bulletins/bulletin-notices-commiss-opinion/TransNetwkDrvrs.cfm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">warning to ride-service drivers\u003c/a> about potential gaps in coverage that could leave them liable in an accident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Chicago recently, the City Council actually \u003ca href=\"http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-03-14/news/chi-city-council-subpoenas-insurance-records-from-rideshare-firms-20140313_1_ride-share-lyft-and-sidecar-taxi-drivers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">subpoenaed the policies\u003c/a> of UberX, Lyft and Sidecar in search of holes that could leave drivers and passengers unprotected. Meanwhile, there have been at least two reports of insurers canceling the personal auto coverage of ride-service drivers, leading many of them to \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/01/20/ride-sharing-insurance-lyft-uberx-sidecar/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hide their status as commercial drivers\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The policy: Excess vs. primary insurance\u003cbr>\n\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can take a look at the insurance policy, which makes for fascinating reading if you’re an actuary, \u003ca href=\"http://www.scribd.com/doc/214351992/Leaked-Uber-Insurance-Policy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here\u003c/a> or embedded at the end of this article. If you follow this stuff, I imagine you’re going to hear a fair bit of analysis over the next few days. We asked Pete Moraga of the \u003ca href=\"http://www.iinc.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Insurance Information Network of California\u003c/a>, someone who has expressed skepticism to us in the past about ride-service insurance, to take a look. He told us the contract contains a lot of standard boilerplate language and exclusions found in other insurance contracts. The \u003ca href=\"http://blog.sfgate.com/techchron/2014/03/27/what-does-ubers-1-million-commercial-policy-cover/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/a> showed the policy to a couple of other insurance industry professionals, and they agreed there is nothing unusual about the policy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s still early, but all in all one would have to say the release of the policy has been a positive development for Uber and maybe the entire TNC industry. Why? Because, as previously mentioned, the taxi industry has been attempting to use the refusal of the TNCs to make their insurance policies public to sow distrust in them and create a sense that the coverage likely includes a host of conditions unfavorable to drivers and the public. So far, that does not look to be true.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That doesn’t mean there aren’t still issues with TNC insurance. Uber’s policy functions as excess insurance for drivers who contract with the company. Excess insurance is meant to supplement a primary policy, paying claims where the primary insurance leaves off. The TNCs have always said that should a driver’s personal insurance fail to cover an accident, their excess coverage will “drop down” to become primary insurance, picking up the entire tab if necessary. But the insurance industry has said repeatedly that drivers’ personal policies will \u003cem>never\u003c/em> cover an accident involving a ride-service vehicle, because personal policies routinely exclude coverage for commercial use. TNCs, however, have insisted that claims are getting through on personal policies. To which some in the insurance and taxi industries have replied that’s only because those insurers don’t actually \u003cem>know \u003c/em>that the accidents occurred during a TNC call.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>OK, to the seven insurance industry people still reading, let’s put it this way: During a hearing last week on TNC insurance issues held by California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, \u003ca href=\"http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/2014/03/insurance-groups-uber-lyft-sidecar.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bizj_sanfrancisco+%28San+Francisco+Business+Times%29\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">insurance groups said the ride-services were basically getting a free ride\u003c/a>, no pun intended, by relying on drivers’ personal insurance to cover some claims.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s one reason the taxi industry is so angry: They pay for primary insurance, which is more expensive because it covers more claims than excess insurance. When the CPUC hammered out its TNC rules last year, the California Department of Insurance issued an opinion that its preferred option would have been to require that ride services carry \u003ca href=\"http://www.irmi.com/online/insurance-glossary/terms/p/primary-cover.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">primary insurance\u003c/a>, because a dual system of commercial excess insurance sitting on top of personal primary insurance could result in confusion to consumers and drivers who need to file claims.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the department also said an excess, drop-down policy would suffice as the next-best thing, and the CPUC declined to require that TNCs get primary insurance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pete Moraga, from the Insurance Information Network of California, said Uber’s policy still “begs the question: Did (Uber) purchase the excess policy knowing that drivers’ own policies would not cover commercial use of the auto, or did they try to imply to drivers signing up that their own personal policy would cover them?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lane Kasselman of Uber’s communications department responded with this:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our teams work with partner drivers to answer any questions they have about a range of issues, including insurance. As a matter of law, all California drivers are required to have auto insurance, so we require that drivers have it to partner with us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Personal auto insurance is a contract between the driver and their insurer. Most personal auto insurance policies contain an exclusion for transporting passengers for hire, that’s why we have the commercial policy in place. We tell drivers to report all accidents to their personal insurance provider, and we report it to our insurance at the same time. We expect drivers to be truthful with all parties involved.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>CPUC takes another look\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday the CPUC issued a \u003ca href=\"http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M089/K247/89247822.PDF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">call for comments\u003c/a> on proposed modifications to the regulations it issued last year. Among the changes floated is the requirement that TNC insurance go into effect “when the TNC app is open and available to accept rides” — in other words, between calls. This is a change that UberX and Lyft have said they have already made, and one that would have extended coverage to Syed Muzaffar, the UberX driver in the New Year’s Eve accident, who was waiting to be assigned a passenger when the accident occurred.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC is also proposing that TNCs be required to offer $1,000,000 in uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage; $50,000 in comprehensive coverage (theft, fire, vandalism); $50,000 in collision coverage (when the accident is the driver’s fault); and $5,000 in medical payments due to bodily injury sustained by the driver or passengers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The document from CPUC Commissioner Michael Peevey said, “While efforts to craft market-based solutions are certainly appreciated, not all of the TNCs who have filed applications with the Commission have voluntarily proposed solutions to close the acknowledged insurance gap. Thus, the assigned Commissioner believes it is incumbent on the Commission to consider fashioning a remedy that will apply on an industry-wide basis.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber said it “strongly supports requests for public comment,” because “for far too long transportation regulation has been made in the dark, and it’s long past time the riding public had a say.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Note: In t\u003c/em>\u003cem>he original \u003c/em>\u003cem>version of this \u003c/em>\u003cem>article, one insurance expert called into question whether the text of Uber’s policy specified that drivers would be covered if their personal insurance policy declined to do so. However, when \u003c/em>\u003cem>U\u003c/em>\u003cem>ber pointed out \u003c/em>\u003cem>to us \u003c/em>\u003cem>where that issue was \u003c/em>\u003cem>in fact \u003c/em>\u003cem>addressed, the expert agreed with them\u003c/em>\u003cem>, and therefore \u003c/em>\u003cem>we \u003c/em>\u003cem>have deleted that section of the \u003c/em>\u003cem>original\u003c/em>\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003cem>article\u003c/em>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv>\u003c/div>\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 12px auto 6px auto;font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-style: normal;font-variant: normal;font-weight: normal;font-size: 14px;line-height: normal\">\u003ca style=\"text-decoration: underline\" title=\"View Leaked Uber Insurance Policy on Scribd\" href=\"http://www.scribd.com/doc/214351992/Leaked-Uber-Insurance-Policy\">Uber Insurance Policy\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"disqusTitle": "Seattle, Chicago Put the Screws to Lyft, UberX",
"title": "Seattle, Chicago Put the Screws to Lyft, UberX",
"headTitle": "News Fix | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_117417\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-117417\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/10/5996_transform.jpg\" alt=\"A protester mocks ride service Lyft and its signature pink mustaches atcab driver rally outside San Francisco City Hall. (Alex Emslie/KQED)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A protester mocks ride service Lyft and its signature pink mustaches at cab driver rally outside San Francisco City Hall. (Alex Emslie/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The big news in the ride-service world today is that the \u003ca href=\"http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2014/03/17/council-votes-to-limit-regulate-ride-share-firms/#20586101=0\">Seattle City Council voted to cap\u003c/a> the number of drivers that Lyft, UberX and Sidecar can put on the road. The legislation, which the city's mayor, Ed Murray, has agreed to sign, limits each ride-service company to 150 drivers, or 450 total, in simultaneous operation. The Seattle Times reports the three companies, all based in San Francisco, together have 2,000 drivers in the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The legislation is a big setback for the ride-service firms. Some time ago, we here at KQED decided to use that term, \"ride-services,\" to describe these app-based ride-for-hire firms. That's because the California Public Utilities Commission officially ruled that the term \"ride-sharing,\" which the companies still use, incorrectly describes these commercial enterprises. The CPUC officially calls them transportation network companies, or TNCs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[contextly_sidebar id=\"ae252f895b365ef403437f7b0bcc0a25\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While that term is not as warm and fuzzy as \"ride-sharing,\" it's better than \"Spawns of Satan\" (or SOS), the nomenclature recommended by the taxi industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Well, not really. But having talked to a few dozen cab industry folks over the last few months, I feel I can accurately report that a majority of them really do despise these tech upstarts. And I imagine that's true across the country where, as in Seattle, a series of small wars has erupted in city after city as Lyft and Uber have taken root. In Chicago, for instance, the \u003ca href=\"http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-03-14/news/chi-city-council-subpoenas-insurance-records-from-rideshare-firms-20140313_1_ride-share-lyft-and-sidecar-taxi-drivers\" target=\"_blank\">City Council recently sent subpoenas\u003c/a> to ride-service firms, ordering them to turn over copies of their insurance policies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both sides in this conflict have their talking points. In San Francisco, where taxi service has been notoriously spotty, the TNCs, their fans and even some cab-industry folks say the taxi business has no one but itself to blame for the considerable loss of customers. Meanwhile, taxi interests contend the TNCs continue to enjoy a huge competitive advantage because of the relatively loose CPUC regulations they operate under, as opposed to the strict municipal rules with which taxis must contend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This could change. On March 6, the \u003ca href=\"http://blog.sfgate.com/techchron/2014/03/07/california-to-lyft-uber-sidecar-wingz-get-your-act-together/\" target=\"_blank\">San Francisco Chronicle reported\u003c/a>, the CPUC warned Lyft, UberX (Uber's TNC service), Sidecar and Wingz, two other ride-service companies, that they had 60 days to \"complete deficiencies\" in their applications to become officially certified. (They currently operate under a temporary order.) According to the Chron:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>The most serious omission was information about how they inspect drivers’ vehicles. … The letter asked them to clarify:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>Who is conducting the vehicle inspection?\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>What qualifications do they possess to conduct the inspection?\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>Any copies of contracts with outside vendors that may provide these services.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>(You can read our own \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/01/30/lyft-uberx-driver-safety\" target=\"_blank\">investigation here into safety and inspection issues at UberX.\u003c/a>)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC has also said it will take stock of how well its TNC regulations are working in the fall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here's a rundown of developments in different cities where regulatory skirmishes in the TNC war have flared recently.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Baltimore\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>The popular ride-share company Uber began urging Baltimore users this month to help \"save\" it, declaring that \"Uber's future in Maryland is in jeopardy.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber launched the public relations campaign as state regulators waded into the same dispute that embroiled the company in other cities as it and other technology-based ride-sharing operations disrupt the local taxi market....\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State lawmakers in Annapolis are considering how — and whether — to craft new regulations to oversee drivers who pick up riders through smartphone apps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>--\u003ca href=\"http://touch.baltimoresun.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-79626327/\">Baltimore Sun\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Boulder\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>Uber — the popular, yet controversial, startup that brought its \"e-hailing\" ride-sharing service to Denver in 2012 — is weighing a broader push up the U.S. 36 corridor into Boulder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Officials for the San Francisco-based company told the Daily Camera that they're conducting a soft launch in Boulder, a tech startup-friendly city home to some high-profile advocates of the mobile app that allows users to secure a ride with an Uber-connected driver....\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber has not contacted Boulder's licensing department to inquire about operating in the city, said Sarah Huntley, a spokeswoman for the city of Boulder. A business such as Uber would need a business license, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>--\u003ca href=\"http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-business/ci_25351676/transportation-startup-uber-eyes-push-into-boulder\">Boulder Daily Camera\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Chicago\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>The three major for-profit ride-share companies operating virtually unregulated in Chicago face a Friday deadline to respond to subpoenas calling on them to turn over copies of their insurance policies, which critics contend fail to protect the public.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The subpoenas that the City Council sent this month to Uber X, Lyft and Sidecar came up during a state Senate Transportation Committee hearing Thursday in Chicago that focused on the “insurance gap” involving ride-share companies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Insurance experts, some aldermen and taxicab companies that fear the industry is eroding their business have sounded alarms that ride-share customers don't know how vulnerable they are for any medical or other expenses resulting from an accident involving a ride-share vehicle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unlike taxi drivers and cab companies, the ride-share firms are not required to submit their insurance policies to the city or the state, and they have not done so voluntarily, state and city officials said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>--\u003ca href=\"http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-03-14/news/chi-city-council-subpoenas-insurance-records-from-rideshare-firms-20140313_1_ride-share-lyft-and-sidecar-taxi-drivers\" target=\"_blank\">Chicago Tribune\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Houston\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>The city of Houston's administration and regulatory affairs, or ARA, department issued a safety warning yesterday for Lyft customers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The warning urged Houstonians to question the safety of Lyft cars, which are distinguishable by their pink mustaches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The warning could also could be the sign of another stumbling block and continuing delays in crafting new legislation to allow or deny Lyft and similar transportation services in Houston.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>--\u003ca href=\"http://upstart.bizjournals.com/news/wire/2014/03/13/houston-to-lyft-we-have-a-problem.html\">Houston Business Journal\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Madison\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>Madison police have not issued any tickets to drivers from ride-sharing apps Lyft and Uber, who were active in the city over the weekend despite warnings from officials and threats of citations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Madison City Attorney’s Office issued a memorandum last week finding that the companies are operating as taxis, meaning they are violating city ordinances.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That led Madison police on Wednesday to ask the drivers to stop giving rides, saying they could face fines of hundreds of dollars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv>--\u003ca href=\"http://host.madison.com/news/local/ride-sharing-apps-operate-against-police-wishes-but-no-citations/article_ef90f391-4e1f-55c1-a9bc-d1b6f2cecc7d.html#ixzz2wJlFjFxW\" target=\"_blank\">Wisconsin State Journal\u003c/a>\u003c/div>\n\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nashville\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>A loophole in Metro Nashville's transportation law means drivers of popular ride-sharing services like Lyft and Uber could be issued citations for not having the proper permits to carry passengers, who pay for their rides.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Metro Code 6.74.100, all \"for hire\" passengers vehicles operating in Davidson County must have an \"F\" for hire endorsement on their license and commercial plates when carrying passengers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As it stands, the Metro Transportation Licensing Commission is not currently issuing permits to drivers of cars services like Lyft and Uber mainly because county officials said they haven't had a chance to draft legislation that properly regulates the new services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>--\u003ca href=\"http://www.newschannel5.com/story/24999313/loophole-leaves-lyft-uber-drivers-vulnerable-for-tickets\" target=\"_blank\">NewsChannel5\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Phoenix\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>Technology-driven ride-sharing companies Uber and Lyft are battling Discount Cab and AAA Arizona at the Arizona Legislature over proposed industry and insurance rules.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The battle is over Arizona House Bill 2273 and what kind of insurance rules govern new ride-sharing businesses in comparison to taxis and other livery services. The ride-sharing businesses utilize smartphone and computer applications that allow those seeking rides to hook up with independent drivers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/adview?ai=BpvkMX60oU42xMYeulAKj1ICQB_HqzPgEAAAAEAEgADgAWKn_hLCRAWDJ9viGyKOgGYIBF2NhLXB1Yi05NzM2MDkyNjA0Njc3NTE2sgETd3d3LmJpempvdXJuYWxzLmNvbboBCWdmcF9pbWFnZcgBCdoBaWh0dHA6Ly93d3cuYml6am91cm5hbHMuY29tL3Bob2VuaXgvbmV3cy8yMDE0LzAzLzEzL3JpZGUtc2hhcmluZy1jb21wYW5pZXMtYmF0dGxpbmctd2l0aC1kaXNjb3VudC1jYWIuaHRtbJgCrtABwAIC4AIA6gIdNDYzNS9iemoucGhvZW5peC9hcnRpY2xlX3BhZ2X4AoPSHpADrAKYA-ADqAMB4AQBkgULCAcQARgBIPGwzBigBiA&sigh=_epBUj2E57A&adurl=http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/imgad/1482981/InterstitialTemplate2014_chase.html%3Ft%3D10%26cT%3Dhttp%253A//bizjournals.com%26l%3Dhttp%253A//www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/search/results%253Fq%253DSteve%252520Thompson\">Steve Thompson\u003c/a>, general manager for San Francisco-based Uber’s Phoenix operations, said the Arizona bill puts state regulations and rules around his company’s business model including insurance and background checks it has for independent drivers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>--\u003ca href=\"http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2014/03/13/ride-sharing-companies-battling-with-discount-cab.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+vertical_43+%28Networking+Industry+News%29\" target=\"_blank\">Phoenix Business Journal\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tampa\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>When Lyft began advertising online recently for drivers in Tampa, the county's taxi regulating agency noticed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We welcome your interest in the Tampa Bay area and the potential for expanded use of new innovative technologies in transportation services,\" reads a letter sent Friday to the San Francisco-based ride-sharing service by the interim executive director of the Public Transportation Commission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Kevin Jackson continued: The PTC has the final word ....\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber (said in 2012) that its experience with the PTC had dissuaded it from coming back here again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>--\u003ca href=\"http://www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/as-ride-sharing-service-eyes-tampa-county-regulators-get-involved/2170407\">Tampa Bay Times\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_117417\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-117417\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/10/5996_transform.jpg\" alt=\"A protester mocks ride service Lyft and its signature pink mustaches atcab driver rally outside San Francisco City Hall. (Alex Emslie/KQED)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A protester mocks ride service Lyft and its signature pink mustaches at cab driver rally outside San Francisco City Hall. (Alex Emslie/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The big news in the ride-service world today is that the \u003ca href=\"http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2014/03/17/council-votes-to-limit-regulate-ride-share-firms/#20586101=0\">Seattle City Council voted to cap\u003c/a> the number of drivers that Lyft, UberX and Sidecar can put on the road. The legislation, which the city's mayor, Ed Murray, has agreed to sign, limits each ride-service company to 150 drivers, or 450 total, in simultaneous operation. The Seattle Times reports the three companies, all based in San Francisco, together have 2,000 drivers in the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The legislation is a big setback for the ride-service firms. Some time ago, we here at KQED decided to use that term, \"ride-services,\" to describe these app-based ride-for-hire firms. That's because the California Public Utilities Commission officially ruled that the term \"ride-sharing,\" which the companies still use, incorrectly describes these commercial enterprises. The CPUC officially calls them transportation network companies, or TNCs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While that term is not as warm and fuzzy as \"ride-sharing,\" it's better than \"Spawns of Satan\" (or SOS), the nomenclature recommended by the taxi industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Well, not really. But having talked to a few dozen cab industry folks over the last few months, I feel I can accurately report that a majority of them really do despise these tech upstarts. And I imagine that's true across the country where, as in Seattle, a series of small wars has erupted in city after city as Lyft and Uber have taken root. In Chicago, for instance, the \u003ca href=\"http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-03-14/news/chi-city-council-subpoenas-insurance-records-from-rideshare-firms-20140313_1_ride-share-lyft-and-sidecar-taxi-drivers\" target=\"_blank\">City Council recently sent subpoenas\u003c/a> to ride-service firms, ordering them to turn over copies of their insurance policies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both sides in this conflict have their talking points. In San Francisco, where taxi service has been notoriously spotty, the TNCs, their fans and even some cab-industry folks say the taxi business has no one but itself to blame for the considerable loss of customers. Meanwhile, taxi interests contend the TNCs continue to enjoy a huge competitive advantage because of the relatively loose CPUC regulations they operate under, as opposed to the strict municipal rules with which taxis must contend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This could change. On March 6, the \u003ca href=\"http://blog.sfgate.com/techchron/2014/03/07/california-to-lyft-uber-sidecar-wingz-get-your-act-together/\" target=\"_blank\">San Francisco Chronicle reported\u003c/a>, the CPUC warned Lyft, UberX (Uber's TNC service), Sidecar and Wingz, two other ride-service companies, that they had 60 days to \"complete deficiencies\" in their applications to become officially certified. (They currently operate under a temporary order.) According to the Chron:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>The most serious omission was information about how they inspect drivers’ vehicles. … The letter asked them to clarify:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>Who is conducting the vehicle inspection?\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>What qualifications do they possess to conduct the inspection?\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>Any copies of contracts with outside vendors that may provide these services.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>(You can read our own \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/01/30/lyft-uberx-driver-safety\" target=\"_blank\">investigation here into safety and inspection issues at UberX.\u003c/a>)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC has also said it will take stock of how well its TNC regulations are working in the fall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here's a rundown of developments in different cities where regulatory skirmishes in the TNC war have flared recently.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Baltimore\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>The popular ride-share company Uber began urging Baltimore users this month to help \"save\" it, declaring that \"Uber's future in Maryland is in jeopardy.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber launched the public relations campaign as state regulators waded into the same dispute that embroiled the company in other cities as it and other technology-based ride-sharing operations disrupt the local taxi market....\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State lawmakers in Annapolis are considering how — and whether — to craft new regulations to oversee drivers who pick up riders through smartphone apps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>--\u003ca href=\"http://touch.baltimoresun.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-79626327/\">Baltimore Sun\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Boulder\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>Uber — the popular, yet controversial, startup that brought its \"e-hailing\" ride-sharing service to Denver in 2012 — is weighing a broader push up the U.S. 36 corridor into Boulder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Officials for the San Francisco-based company told the Daily Camera that they're conducting a soft launch in Boulder, a tech startup-friendly city home to some high-profile advocates of the mobile app that allows users to secure a ride with an Uber-connected driver....\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber has not contacted Boulder's licensing department to inquire about operating in the city, said Sarah Huntley, a spokeswoman for the city of Boulder. A business such as Uber would need a business license, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>--\u003ca href=\"http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-business/ci_25351676/transportation-startup-uber-eyes-push-into-boulder\">Boulder Daily Camera\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Chicago\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>The three major for-profit ride-share companies operating virtually unregulated in Chicago face a Friday deadline to respond to subpoenas calling on them to turn over copies of their insurance policies, which critics contend fail to protect the public.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The subpoenas that the City Council sent this month to Uber X, Lyft and Sidecar came up during a state Senate Transportation Committee hearing Thursday in Chicago that focused on the “insurance gap” involving ride-share companies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Insurance experts, some aldermen and taxicab companies that fear the industry is eroding their business have sounded alarms that ride-share customers don't know how vulnerable they are for any medical or other expenses resulting from an accident involving a ride-share vehicle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unlike taxi drivers and cab companies, the ride-share firms are not required to submit their insurance policies to the city or the state, and they have not done so voluntarily, state and city officials said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>--\u003ca href=\"http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-03-14/news/chi-city-council-subpoenas-insurance-records-from-rideshare-firms-20140313_1_ride-share-lyft-and-sidecar-taxi-drivers\" target=\"_blank\">Chicago Tribune\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Houston\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>The city of Houston's administration and regulatory affairs, or ARA, department issued a safety warning yesterday for Lyft customers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The warning urged Houstonians to question the safety of Lyft cars, which are distinguishable by their pink mustaches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The warning could also could be the sign of another stumbling block and continuing delays in crafting new legislation to allow or deny Lyft and similar transportation services in Houston.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>--\u003ca href=\"http://upstart.bizjournals.com/news/wire/2014/03/13/houston-to-lyft-we-have-a-problem.html\">Houston Business Journal\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Madison\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>Madison police have not issued any tickets to drivers from ride-sharing apps Lyft and Uber, who were active in the city over the weekend despite warnings from officials and threats of citations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Madison City Attorney’s Office issued a memorandum last week finding that the companies are operating as taxis, meaning they are violating city ordinances.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That led Madison police on Wednesday to ask the drivers to stop giving rides, saying they could face fines of hundreds of dollars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv>--\u003ca href=\"http://host.madison.com/news/local/ride-sharing-apps-operate-against-police-wishes-but-no-citations/article_ef90f391-4e1f-55c1-a9bc-d1b6f2cecc7d.html#ixzz2wJlFjFxW\" target=\"_blank\">Wisconsin State Journal\u003c/a>\u003c/div>\n\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nashville\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>A loophole in Metro Nashville's transportation law means drivers of popular ride-sharing services like Lyft and Uber could be issued citations for not having the proper permits to carry passengers, who pay for their rides.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Metro Code 6.74.100, all \"for hire\" passengers vehicles operating in Davidson County must have an \"F\" for hire endorsement on their license and commercial plates when carrying passengers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As it stands, the Metro Transportation Licensing Commission is not currently issuing permits to drivers of cars services like Lyft and Uber mainly because county officials said they haven't had a chance to draft legislation that properly regulates the new services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>--\u003ca href=\"http://www.newschannel5.com/story/24999313/loophole-leaves-lyft-uber-drivers-vulnerable-for-tickets\" target=\"_blank\">NewsChannel5\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Phoenix\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>Technology-driven ride-sharing companies Uber and Lyft are battling Discount Cab and AAA Arizona at the Arizona Legislature over proposed industry and insurance rules.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The battle is over Arizona House Bill 2273 and what kind of insurance rules govern new ride-sharing businesses in comparison to taxis and other livery services. The ride-sharing businesses utilize smartphone and computer applications that allow those seeking rides to hook up with independent drivers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/adview?ai=BpvkMX60oU42xMYeulAKj1ICQB_HqzPgEAAAAEAEgADgAWKn_hLCRAWDJ9viGyKOgGYIBF2NhLXB1Yi05NzM2MDkyNjA0Njc3NTE2sgETd3d3LmJpempvdXJuYWxzLmNvbboBCWdmcF9pbWFnZcgBCdoBaWh0dHA6Ly93d3cuYml6am91cm5hbHMuY29tL3Bob2VuaXgvbmV3cy8yMDE0LzAzLzEzL3JpZGUtc2hhcmluZy1jb21wYW5pZXMtYmF0dGxpbmctd2l0aC1kaXNjb3VudC1jYWIuaHRtbJgCrtABwAIC4AIA6gIdNDYzNS9iemoucGhvZW5peC9hcnRpY2xlX3BhZ2X4AoPSHpADrAKYA-ADqAMB4AQBkgULCAcQARgBIPGwzBigBiA&sigh=_epBUj2E57A&adurl=http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/imgad/1482981/InterstitialTemplate2014_chase.html%3Ft%3D10%26cT%3Dhttp%253A//bizjournals.com%26l%3Dhttp%253A//www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/search/results%253Fq%253DSteve%252520Thompson\">Steve Thompson\u003c/a>, general manager for San Francisco-based Uber’s Phoenix operations, said the Arizona bill puts state regulations and rules around his company’s business model including insurance and background checks it has for independent drivers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>--\u003ca href=\"http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2014/03/13/ride-sharing-companies-battling-with-discount-cab.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+vertical_43+%28Networking+Industry+News%29\" target=\"_blank\">Phoenix Business Journal\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tampa\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>When Lyft began advertising online recently for drivers in Tampa, the county's taxi regulating agency noticed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We welcome your interest in the Tampa Bay area and the potential for expanded use of new innovative technologies in transportation services,\" reads a letter sent Friday to the San Francisco-based ride-sharing service by the interim executive director of the Public Transportation Commission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Kevin Jackson continued: The PTC has the final word ....\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber (said in 2012) that its experience with the PTC had dissuaded it from coming back here again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>--\u003ca href=\"http://www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/as-ride-sharing-service-eyes-tampa-county-regulators-get-involved/2170407\">Tampa Bay Times\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_126917\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-126917\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/01/RS8866_UberX_3-lpr-640x426.jpg\" alt=\"The California Public Utilities Commission requires Transportation Network Companies like UberX to display signage. (Jeremy Raff/KQED)\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Photo: Jeremy Raff/KQED) \u003ccite>(Jeremy Raff/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ride-service companies UberX and Lyft have announced they are expanding their insurance to cover drivers who are between passengers but logged onto their apps awaiting a call.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"http://blog.uber.com/uberXridesharinginsurance\" target=\"_blank\">blog post\u003c/a> this morning Uber said its new policy ...\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\"... expands the insurance of ridesharing drivers to cover any potential “insurance gap” for accidents that occur while drivers are not providing transportation service for hire but are logged onto the Uber network and available to accept a ride.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Starting today, if a driver’s personal insurance policy is found not to cover an accident during this period, this new policy will provide contingent coverage for a driver’s liability at the highest requirement of any state in the U.S: $50,000/individual/incident for bodily injury, $100,000 total/incident for bodily injury and $25,000/incident for property damage.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Those coverage amounts are much less than the $1 million in liability insurance the company offers -- and is required to by California -- for drivers who are actually on a call.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyft also announced a similar expansion of its liability policy to drivers who are between calls. In a statement, the company said:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>While we do expect personal carriers to cover the time period prior to carrying a passenger, in order to erase any uncertainty, Lyft will now provide additional protection. This new protection will provide backstop coverage to drivers when they are in match mode and are not providing rides. We will be rolling this out state-by-state in the days to come.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>The limitations of UberX and Lyft insurance policies became widely known after a fatal accident involving an UberX driver in San Francisco on New Year's Eve. The driver was between passengers -- logged onto the UberX platform but yet to accept a call. UberX said its $1 million insurance policy did not apply because it only covered drivers who were actually carrying passengers or were on their way to pick them up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UberX also said the insurance company of that driver, Syed Muzaffar, has \"offered up the limits\" of his personal policy in connection with the incident. California requires all drivers to carry liability insurance of $15,000 for the injury or death of one person per accident, $30,000 for the injury or death of two or more persons, and $5,000 for any property damage. The liability costs of the accident Muzaffar was involved in could very well be in the millions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to the expansion of its liability coverage, Uber said it would offer new comprehensive and collision coverage when UberX drivers were on a call. Collision insurance covers damage to a driver's vehicle when the driver is at fault. This new coverage is contingent on drivers having purchased similar coverage on their personal policies, Uber said. The deductible is $1,000 and the maximum payment is $50,000 per vehicle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chris Dolan, the lawyer for the family of Sofia Liu, killed by an UberX driver in San Francisco on New Year’s Eve, is not impressed with Uber's announcement, calling it a \"sham PR stunt\" in a press release. The Liu family is suing Uber, claiming, among other things, that the app its drivers use to accept calls contributes to distracted driving.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a press call today, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick said Muzaffar's personal insurance company is paying the claim. But Dolan said Muzaffar's insurance has a $30,000 cap on it, and \"the bills are in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.\" He said the amounts offered by UberX's new insurance, up to $100,000 in bodily injury and $25,000 in property damage, \"degrades the value of every human life.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency requires taxis to carry $1 million in liability insurance. The taxi industry has argued that ride-service vehicles are taxis by any other name, and therefore should have to offer similar insurance.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_126917\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-126917\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/01/RS8866_UberX_3-lpr-640x426.jpg\" alt=\"The California Public Utilities Commission requires Transportation Network Companies like UberX to display signage. (Jeremy Raff/KQED)\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Photo: Jeremy Raff/KQED) \u003ccite>(Jeremy Raff/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ride-service companies UberX and Lyft have announced they are expanding their insurance to cover drivers who are between passengers but logged onto their apps awaiting a call.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"http://blog.uber.com/uberXridesharinginsurance\" target=\"_blank\">blog post\u003c/a> this morning Uber said its new policy ...\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\"... expands the insurance of ridesharing drivers to cover any potential “insurance gap” for accidents that occur while drivers are not providing transportation service for hire but are logged onto the Uber network and available to accept a ride.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Starting today, if a driver’s personal insurance policy is found not to cover an accident during this period, this new policy will provide contingent coverage for a driver’s liability at the highest requirement of any state in the U.S: $50,000/individual/incident for bodily injury, $100,000 total/incident for bodily injury and $25,000/incident for property damage.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Those coverage amounts are much less than the $1 million in liability insurance the company offers -- and is required to by California -- for drivers who are actually on a call.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyft also announced a similar expansion of its liability policy to drivers who are between calls. In a statement, the company said:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>While we do expect personal carriers to cover the time period prior to carrying a passenger, in order to erase any uncertainty, Lyft will now provide additional protection. This new protection will provide backstop coverage to drivers when they are in match mode and are not providing rides. We will be rolling this out state-by-state in the days to come.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>The limitations of UberX and Lyft insurance policies became widely known after a fatal accident involving an UberX driver in San Francisco on New Year's Eve. The driver was between passengers -- logged onto the UberX platform but yet to accept a call. UberX said its $1 million insurance policy did not apply because it only covered drivers who were actually carrying passengers or were on their way to pick them up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UberX also said the insurance company of that driver, Syed Muzaffar, has \"offered up the limits\" of his personal policy in connection with the incident. California requires all drivers to carry liability insurance of $15,000 for the injury or death of one person per accident, $30,000 for the injury or death of two or more persons, and $5,000 for any property damage. The liability costs of the accident Muzaffar was involved in could very well be in the millions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to the expansion of its liability coverage, Uber said it would offer new comprehensive and collision coverage when UberX drivers were on a call. Collision insurance covers damage to a driver's vehicle when the driver is at fault. This new coverage is contingent on drivers having purchased similar coverage on their personal policies, Uber said. The deductible is $1,000 and the maximum payment is $50,000 per vehicle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chris Dolan, the lawyer for the family of Sofia Liu, killed by an UberX driver in San Francisco on New Year’s Eve, is not impressed with Uber's announcement, calling it a \"sham PR stunt\" in a press release. The Liu family is suing Uber, claiming, among other things, that the app its drivers use to accept calls contributes to distracted driving.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a press call today, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick said Muzaffar's personal insurance company is paying the claim. But Dolan said Muzaffar's insurance has a $30,000 cap on it, and \"the bills are in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.\" He said the amounts offered by UberX's new insurance, up to $100,000 in bodily injury and $25,000 in property damage, \"degrades the value of every human life.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency requires taxis to carry $1 million in liability insurance. The taxi industry has argued that ride-service vehicles are taxis by any other name, and therefore should have to offer similar insurance.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"disqusTitle": "City by City, Lyft and Uber Take on Taxis, Regulators",
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"headTitle": "News Fix | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_115064\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 272px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-115064 \" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2013/10/DeSoto-Cab-Company-driver-and-Pacifica-resident-Corey-Lamb-protests-against-ap-based-ride-selling-companies-like-Lyft-on-Tuesday-July-30-outside-San-Francisco-City-Hall.-Alex-EnslieKQEDRS5997_IMG_7873-sfi.jpg\" alt=\"A San Francisco cab driver protests ride-service companies like Lyft, July 30, 2013, outside San Francisco City Hall. (Alex Emslie/KQED)\" width=\"272\" height=\"360\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A San Francisco cab driver protests against ride-service companies like Lyft, July 30, 2013, outside San Francisco City Hall. (Alex Emslie/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>We've been covering the San Francisco-based ride-service companies Lyft and Uber for some time now, focusing on \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/01/20/ride-sharing-insurance-lyft-uberx-sidecar/\" target=\"_blank\">questions\u003c/a> related to \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2013/11/14/who-pays-when-ride-share-driver-crashes\" target=\"_blank\">insurance\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/01/30/lyft-uberx-driver-safety\" target=\"_blank\">safety\u003c/a>. Taxi companies and drivers in the city have been irate since these firms started taking a noticeable chunk of their business. A 2013 decision by the California Public Utilities Commission to let the companies operate in the state under less rigid rules than the locally regulated taxi business did not appease cab interests one bit. Lyft, in fact, has been pointing to California as a model for what regulation of ride-service firms should look like.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber was reported to be \u003ca href=\"http://allthingsd.com/20130822/uber-filing-in-delaware-shows-tpg-investment-at-3-5-billion-valuation-google-ventures-also-in/\" target=\"_blank\">valued at $3.5 billion\u003c/a> at one point last year. And Lyft, for what it's worth, told \u003ca href=\"http://techcrunch.com/2013/12/18/uber-lyft/\" target=\"_blank\">TechCrunch\u003c/a> last December that it's \"seeing its revenues grow at a rate of about 6 percent every single week ....\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These San Francisco companies have been exporting this new app-based, sharing-economy model of vehicular transportation all over the U.S., with a similar pattern emerging whenever they come to town: Local taxi interests hoot and holler, and local agencies and elected officials grapple with how --or if -- to put the brakes on the unregulated drivers and vehicles who now traverse their cities carrying paying customers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A handful of cities, like \u003ca href=\"http://www.bestofneworleans.com/gambit/why-new-orleans-doesnt-have-uber/Content?oid=2307943\" target=\"_blank\">New Orleans\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"http://www.geekwire.com/2014/portland-ridesharing/\" target=\"_blank\">Portland\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2014/02/ashton-kutcher-slams-miami-for-keeping-out-uber.html\" target=\"_blank\">Miami\u003c/a>, have banned the upstarts entirely. But around the country, industry leaders Uber and Lyft are expanding as quickly as they can, with regulators trying to play catch-up. Here's a rundown from local media of the latest regulatory developments in various cities:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Boston\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://boston.cbslocal.com/2014/02/25/boston-police-commissioner-questions-safety-of-uber-app/\" target=\"_blank\">WBZ\u003c/a> (Feb 25)\u003c/em> Boston Police Commissioner William Evans says he wants more public regulation of what he calls “gypsy cabs.” The commissioner on WBZ NewsRadio 1030 last night singled out a popular mobile \u003ca href=\"https://www.uber.com/\" target=\"_blank\">app Uber,\u003c/a> which connects drivers with passengers....Evans questioned the level of safety and security provided by these new app services because they are not subject to the same level of scrutiny as traditional cabs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2014/03/01/car-service-uber-not-yet-boston-regulators-sights/vQjDKrnbpT6NPg0CAQCs3O/story.html\" target=\"_blank\">\u003cem>Boston Globe\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>(March 1) \u003c/em>As Mayor Martin J. Walsh and his new team at City Hall prepare to overhaul Boston’s transportation policies, one car service popular among Boston’s tech set isn’t likely to face any changes: Uber .... Many critics have said that the only way to ensure Uber is truly safe, and its drivers are properly trained, is to subject it to the same regulations that cabs have endured for years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not Walsh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp id=\"skip-target\">“People should feel safe when they are traveling in Boston,” the mayor said Friday. “We cannot turn a blind eye to public safety concerns around unregulated modes of transportation, but we also cannot condemn a popular, effective service like Uber that takes responsible steps to ensure the safety of their users. There is a balance.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Walsh said he is taking a comprehensive look at the city’s transportation services — from taxis to buses to smartphone car services — and is working with the new police commissioner, William Evans, to come up with new policies.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Chicago\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.wbez.org/news/shadowy-lobbyists-influence-rideshare-debate-109770\" target=\"_blank\">\u003cem>WBEZ\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>(Feb 25)\u003c/em> The fight over the future of ridesharing in Chicago is increasingly being waged through shadowy lobbyists. This has some aldermen concerned about how that could influence the current regulatory debate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a hearing at City Council’s Joint Committee on Transportation and Finance on Monday, some noted that the lobbying activity on the issue appeared different from the usual at City Hall. They said they were disturbed by the apparent emergence of advocates for ride-sharing companies like Uber, Lyft and Sidecar, who have not identified their interests upfront.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://www.wbez.org/news/city-moves-regulate-rideshare-companies-109639\" target=\"_blank\">WBEZ\u003c/a> (Feb 5)\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Mayor’s office introduced new rules at Wednesday’s City Council meeting, aimed at bringing the (ride-service) companies into the regulatory fold. But the move is already angering some who say the city should use its existing regulations for taxicabs and livery vehicles, rather than create a new set of rules....\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The (proposed ride-service ordinance) would require the companies to register with the city and pay an annual $25,000 licensing fee, as well as $25 per driver with their service. It would also subject the companies to the city’s ground transportation tax — $3.50 per day, per vehicle, for each day that the vehicle is used in Chicago for ground transportation. Additionally, the vehicles would have to display signage or an emblem that identifies their ridesharing service, and would have to be inspected annually by the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But perhaps the most significant cost that the rules would require are general commercial liability insurance and commercial automobile liability insurance policies of $1 million per occurrence.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dallas\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2014/02/19/uber-debate-dallas-task-force-nixes-idea-to-limit.html?page=all\" target=\"_blank\">Dallas Business Journa\u003c/a>l (Feb 19)\u003c/em> Dallas’ transportation-for-hire task force rejected a proposed limitation on drivers' hours that was being considered for the ordinance regulating taxis, limos and other car services.... Task force Chair \u003ca href=\"http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/adview?ai=BnG8x6_UUU4P-M4uQlATzm4DQBPGqmoMFAAAAEAEgADgAWPniq4KeAWDJ9viGyKOgGYIBF2NhLXB1Yi05NzM2MDkyNjA0Njc3NTE2sgETd3d3LmJpempvdXJuYWxzLmNvbboBCWdmcF9pbWFnZcgBCdoBcWh0dHA6Ly93d3cuYml6am91cm5hbHMuY29tL2RhbGxhcy9uZXdzLzIwMTQvMDIvMTkvdWJlci1kZWJhdGUtZGFsbGFzLXRhc2stZm9yY2Utbml4ZXMtaWRlYS10by1saW1pdC5odG1sP3BhZ2U9YWxswAIC4AIA6gIcNDYzNS9iemouZGFsbGFzL2FydGljbGVfcGFnZfgCg9IekAPwAZgDpAOoAwHQBJBO4AQBkgULCAcQARgBIOGv0higBiA&sigh=_wj_jMEE2pg&adurl=http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/imgad/1482981/verisign_2014_interstitial_2.html%3Ft%3D10%26cT%3Dhttp%253A//bizjournals.com%26l%3Dhttp%253A//www.bizjournals.com/dallas/search/results%253Fq%253DSandy%252520Greyson\">Sandy Greyson\u003c/a> said the group was considering a limitation comparable to other nearby cities, but unanimously agreed that the idea was not for Dallas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://cityhallblog.dallasnews.com/2014/02/lyfts-co-founder-weighs-in-on-dallas-attempt-to-rewrite-transportation-for-hire-rules-and-allegations-of-redlining.html/\" target=\"_blank\">Dallas Morning News\u003c/a> (Feb 25)\u003c/em> “We’re gonna fight to stay there,” (Lyft CEO John Zimmer) says. “There are thousands of drivers and passengers in Dallas and across the country that believe in this mission and movement, and we’ll be there alongside them to make sure we work together in a responsible and thoughtful way with local officials and defend their right to do this....”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Lyft isn’t waiting for anything: In recent days it has expanded its local coverage area, stretching from Farmers Branch to Duncanville to Pleasant Grove to Garland, \u003ca href=\"https://www.lyft.me/help?article=1302208\" target=\"_blank\">or thereabouts\u003c/a>. Zimmer says that was a “organic expansion” based on data provided by Lyft’s app. There are a handful of hot spots, he notes, around Lower Greenville and Uptown and downtown, but Lyft’s seeing a lot of use all over, so it made sense to recruit more drivers and widen the area in which rides are being shared.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Denver\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://blogs.denverpost.com/techknowbytes/2014/02/11/ride-sharing-bill-drives-amid-concerns-raise-auto-insurance-rates-statewide/13087/\" target=\"_blank\">\u003cem>Denver Post\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>(Feb 11) \u003c/em>The Senate Business, Labor and Technology committee on Tuesday approved a bill that would \u003ca href=\"http://blogs.denverpost.com/techknowbytes/2014/01/28/colorado-puc-director-raises-concerns-uber-lyfts-ride-sharing-bill/12967/\">lightly regulate ride-sharing companies\u003c/a> such as Lyft and \u003ca title=\"Posts tagged with uberX\" href=\"http://blogs.denverpost.com/techknowbytes/tag/uberx/\" rel=\"tag\">UberX\u003c/a> .... \u003ca title=\"Posts tagged with senate bill 125\" href=\"http://blogs.denverpost.com/techknowbytes/tag/senate-bill-125/\" rel=\"tag\">Senate Bill 125\u003c/a> would classify Lyft and UberX as transportation network companies, or TNCs, and place them under limited PUC oversight. Lyft and UberX have developed smartphone apps that connect passengers with drivers, who use their personal cars for the ride .... Colorado regulators and lawmakers say that if a ride-sharing measure isn’t passed, the companies would be forced to shut down.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Detroit\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://www.freep.com/article/20140216/BUSINESS06/302160040/Uber-car-service\" target=\"_blank\">Detroit Free Press\u003c/a> (Feb 16) \u003c/em>In Detroit, state and local police have the go-ahead to ticket Uber drivers who, intentionally or not, failed to get licensed as a driver for hire, officials told the Free Press. Penalties for unlicensed operations run from a fine up to $500 to jail time. The city said officers have not issued any tickets yet ....\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(R)epresentatives for the Michigan Department of Transportation and the City of Detroit told the Free Press that they still consider UberX as drivers for hire under the law because they charge customers for rides. Those drivers must therefore obtain a $300 Certificate of Authority from the state and a $110 limo operator’s license from the Detroit Police Department, which would inspect their vehicle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber Technologies is also required to register with MDOT as a limo carrier, which it has not done, according to Sharon Edgar, MDOT administrator in the office of passenger transportation. Edgar said she sent a noncompliance notice in December to Uber’s Detroit office but hasn’t heard back. White, when asked in an e-mail, did not address the state notice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://www.wxyz.com/news/smartphone-car-service-uber-and-uberx-hits-rough-road-detroit-puts-on-brakes\" target=\"_blank\">WXYZ\u003c/a> (Feb 18) \u003c/em>Detroit City Attorney Melvin Butch Hollowell (says) UberX is not following city licensing requirements and Hollowell is issuing a cease and desist order.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Houston\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2014/02/25/city-of-houston-committee-takes-a-hard-look-at.html\" target=\"_blank\">\u003cem>Houston Business Journal\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>(Feb 25)\u003c/em> Unless Mayor Annise Parker decides to voluntarily put new vehicle-for-hire ordinances on the city council agenda, Tina Paez, the director of the Administration & Regulatory Affairs department, said it is most likely that discussions regarding new ordinances will continue at the committee meeting next month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This probably isn’t welcome news for Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft, which launched some of their services for free, as a promotion, last week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unless the companies, which are offering free rides to customers who request ride services from their apps, plan to continue offering free rides for the next month, this could cause some trouble. If the companies ask for payment or donations for their rides, the city said it will charge drivers with violating city ordinances and it will charge them penalties of up to $500.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Already, the city confirmed that there has been one instance where a Lyft driver charged a rider for a ride, and the city charged the driver with three different violations.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2014/03/city_of_houston_to_uber_stop_s.php\" target=\"_blank\">Houston Press\u003c/a> (March 3) \u003c/em>Some 10,000 Houstonians signed an online petition in support of (Uber), the most vocal of whom are young, urbanites who are strong supporters of the technological aspects of the service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What was the city's response?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Apparently, the city is tired of having its inbox filled up with Uber petition signatures because it \u003ca href=\"http://blog.uber.com/HoustonStandUp\">issued a cease and desist to the folks at Uber\u003c/a> asking Uber to stop the flow of petition e-mails to city mailboxes\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Minneapolis\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_25250479/lyfts-free-ride-deal-gives-it-two-week\" target=\"_blank\">St. Paul Pioneer Press\u003c/a> (Feb 28)\u003c/em> Taxi-like car-sharing service Lyft has launched a multi-city free-ride deal that just happens to get it out of hot water with the City of Minneapolis -- at least for the next two weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyft, consisting of driver-owned vehicles that customers summon with smartphone apps, said it will pick up the tab for rides costing up to $25 apiece.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The promotion temporarily defuses a disagreement with Minneapolis officials, who have insisted that Lyft be licensed like a taxi service, something this and similar services adamantly oppose....\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Minneapolis had threatened to ticket and tow Lyft vehicles once they began operating Thursday as scheduled, but now said it will hold off if money isn't changing hands.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pittsburgh\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.post-gazette.com/business/2014/02/18/Peduto-asks-for-rule-change-on-ride-sharing-operations/stories/201402180175\" target=\"_blank\">\u003cem>Pittsburgh Post-Gazette\u003c/em>\u003c/a> (Feb 19) Mayor Bill Peduto wants the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to change its rules to allow for ride-sharing operations in Pittsburgh. \"As mayor, I support the expansion of transportation options in our city and recognize the need for a broader and more diverse suite of options to get people around town quickly, safely, and reliably,\" Mr. Peduto wrote in a letter to PUC executive director Jan Freeman on Tuesday. \"This includes these new companies but it also includes legacy jitney drivers who serve communities that have been red-lined out of traditional taxicab and limousine service....\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mr. Peduto and Councilman Dan Gilman said Tuesday that they propose amending Chapter 29 of the PUC code to create a new class of regulated transportation service providers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That would be akin to what the California Public Utilities Commission did in September, when it created a new class of business known as a Transportation Network Company.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Seattle\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2023019652_rideshareenforcementxml.html\" target=\"_blank\">Seattle Times\u003c/a> (Feb 28)\u003c/em> A majority of Seattle City Council members approved a cap on the number of drivers for Lyft, uberX and Sidecar at a standing-room-only taxi-committee meeting Thursday night .... If the proposal passes a full council vote next month, it would allow an unlimited number of drivers, but no more than 150 of them, using their personal cars, could work at any given time for each company. The measure would take effect a month after Mayor Ed Murray signs it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Each prospective driver would have to apply for a Transportation Network Company (TNC) permit. In order to get it, drivers would have to take driver-safety training, but it would be less intensive than the for-hire training that taxi and flat-rate car drivers are required to take.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under the earlier proposal, which did not pass, the taxi committee had recommended a cap of 300 TNC-permitted drivers who could contract with Lyft, uberX and Sidecar. All 300 of those drivers could choose which company they want to work for.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>And don't stop there: \u003ca href=\"http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-57618627-76/paris-taxi-drivers-strike-but-uber-opens-second-front-in-the-war/\" target=\"_blank\">Around\u003c/a> the \u003ca href=\"http://www.ibtimes.com/uber-opens-china-shanghai-restricts-use-popular-taxi-booking-apps-1558379\" target=\"_blank\">globe\u003c/a>, app-based transpo is coming to a \u003ca href=\"http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2012/10/uber-launches-in-australia-to-carry-you-through-sydney-in-style/\" target=\"_blank\">nation\u003c/a> near you!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_115064\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 272px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-115064 \" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2013/10/DeSoto-Cab-Company-driver-and-Pacifica-resident-Corey-Lamb-protests-against-ap-based-ride-selling-companies-like-Lyft-on-Tuesday-July-30-outside-San-Francisco-City-Hall.-Alex-EnslieKQEDRS5997_IMG_7873-sfi.jpg\" alt=\"A San Francisco cab driver protests ride-service companies like Lyft, July 30, 2013, outside San Francisco City Hall. (Alex Emslie/KQED)\" width=\"272\" height=\"360\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A San Francisco cab driver protests against ride-service companies like Lyft, July 30, 2013, outside San Francisco City Hall. (Alex Emslie/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>We've been covering the San Francisco-based ride-service companies Lyft and Uber for some time now, focusing on \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/01/20/ride-sharing-insurance-lyft-uberx-sidecar/\" target=\"_blank\">questions\u003c/a> related to \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2013/11/14/who-pays-when-ride-share-driver-crashes\" target=\"_blank\">insurance\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/01/30/lyft-uberx-driver-safety\" target=\"_blank\">safety\u003c/a>. Taxi companies and drivers in the city have been irate since these firms started taking a noticeable chunk of their business. A 2013 decision by the California Public Utilities Commission to let the companies operate in the state under less rigid rules than the locally regulated taxi business did not appease cab interests one bit. Lyft, in fact, has been pointing to California as a model for what regulation of ride-service firms should look like.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber was reported to be \u003ca href=\"http://allthingsd.com/20130822/uber-filing-in-delaware-shows-tpg-investment-at-3-5-billion-valuation-google-ventures-also-in/\" target=\"_blank\">valued at $3.5 billion\u003c/a> at one point last year. And Lyft, for what it's worth, told \u003ca href=\"http://techcrunch.com/2013/12/18/uber-lyft/\" target=\"_blank\">TechCrunch\u003c/a> last December that it's \"seeing its revenues grow at a rate of about 6 percent every single week ....\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These San Francisco companies have been exporting this new app-based, sharing-economy model of vehicular transportation all over the U.S., with a similar pattern emerging whenever they come to town: Local taxi interests hoot and holler, and local agencies and elected officials grapple with how --or if -- to put the brakes on the unregulated drivers and vehicles who now traverse their cities carrying paying customers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A handful of cities, like \u003ca href=\"http://www.bestofneworleans.com/gambit/why-new-orleans-doesnt-have-uber/Content?oid=2307943\" target=\"_blank\">New Orleans\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"http://www.geekwire.com/2014/portland-ridesharing/\" target=\"_blank\">Portland\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2014/02/ashton-kutcher-slams-miami-for-keeping-out-uber.html\" target=\"_blank\">Miami\u003c/a>, have banned the upstarts entirely. But around the country, industry leaders Uber and Lyft are expanding as quickly as they can, with regulators trying to play catch-up. Here's a rundown from local media of the latest regulatory developments in various cities:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Boston\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://boston.cbslocal.com/2014/02/25/boston-police-commissioner-questions-safety-of-uber-app/\" target=\"_blank\">WBZ\u003c/a> (Feb 25)\u003c/em> Boston Police Commissioner William Evans says he wants more public regulation of what he calls “gypsy cabs.” The commissioner on WBZ NewsRadio 1030 last night singled out a popular mobile \u003ca href=\"https://www.uber.com/\" target=\"_blank\">app Uber,\u003c/a> which connects drivers with passengers....Evans questioned the level of safety and security provided by these new app services because they are not subject to the same level of scrutiny as traditional cabs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2014/03/01/car-service-uber-not-yet-boston-regulators-sights/vQjDKrnbpT6NPg0CAQCs3O/story.html\" target=\"_blank\">\u003cem>Boston Globe\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>(March 1) \u003c/em>As Mayor Martin J. Walsh and his new team at City Hall prepare to overhaul Boston’s transportation policies, one car service popular among Boston’s tech set isn’t likely to face any changes: Uber .... Many critics have said that the only way to ensure Uber is truly safe, and its drivers are properly trained, is to subject it to the same regulations that cabs have endured for years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not Walsh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp id=\"skip-target\">“People should feel safe when they are traveling in Boston,” the mayor said Friday. “We cannot turn a blind eye to public safety concerns around unregulated modes of transportation, but we also cannot condemn a popular, effective service like Uber that takes responsible steps to ensure the safety of their users. There is a balance.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Walsh said he is taking a comprehensive look at the city’s transportation services — from taxis to buses to smartphone car services — and is working with the new police commissioner, William Evans, to come up with new policies.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Chicago\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.wbez.org/news/shadowy-lobbyists-influence-rideshare-debate-109770\" target=\"_blank\">\u003cem>WBEZ\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>(Feb 25)\u003c/em> The fight over the future of ridesharing in Chicago is increasingly being waged through shadowy lobbyists. This has some aldermen concerned about how that could influence the current regulatory debate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a hearing at City Council’s Joint Committee on Transportation and Finance on Monday, some noted that the lobbying activity on the issue appeared different from the usual at City Hall. They said they were disturbed by the apparent emergence of advocates for ride-sharing companies like Uber, Lyft and Sidecar, who have not identified their interests upfront.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://www.wbez.org/news/city-moves-regulate-rideshare-companies-109639\" target=\"_blank\">WBEZ\u003c/a> (Feb 5)\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Mayor’s office introduced new rules at Wednesday’s City Council meeting, aimed at bringing the (ride-service) companies into the regulatory fold. But the move is already angering some who say the city should use its existing regulations for taxicabs and livery vehicles, rather than create a new set of rules....\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The (proposed ride-service ordinance) would require the companies to register with the city and pay an annual $25,000 licensing fee, as well as $25 per driver with their service. It would also subject the companies to the city’s ground transportation tax — $3.50 per day, per vehicle, for each day that the vehicle is used in Chicago for ground transportation. Additionally, the vehicles would have to display signage or an emblem that identifies their ridesharing service, and would have to be inspected annually by the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But perhaps the most significant cost that the rules would require are general commercial liability insurance and commercial automobile liability insurance policies of $1 million per occurrence.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dallas\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2014/02/19/uber-debate-dallas-task-force-nixes-idea-to-limit.html?page=all\" target=\"_blank\">Dallas Business Journa\u003c/a>l (Feb 19)\u003c/em> Dallas’ transportation-for-hire task force rejected a proposed limitation on drivers' hours that was being considered for the ordinance regulating taxis, limos and other car services.... Task force Chair \u003ca href=\"http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/adview?ai=BnG8x6_UUU4P-M4uQlATzm4DQBPGqmoMFAAAAEAEgADgAWPniq4KeAWDJ9viGyKOgGYIBF2NhLXB1Yi05NzM2MDkyNjA0Njc3NTE2sgETd3d3LmJpempvdXJuYWxzLmNvbboBCWdmcF9pbWFnZcgBCdoBcWh0dHA6Ly93d3cuYml6am91cm5hbHMuY29tL2RhbGxhcy9uZXdzLzIwMTQvMDIvMTkvdWJlci1kZWJhdGUtZGFsbGFzLXRhc2stZm9yY2Utbml4ZXMtaWRlYS10by1saW1pdC5odG1sP3BhZ2U9YWxswAIC4AIA6gIcNDYzNS9iemouZGFsbGFzL2FydGljbGVfcGFnZfgCg9IekAPwAZgDpAOoAwHQBJBO4AQBkgULCAcQARgBIOGv0higBiA&sigh=_wj_jMEE2pg&adurl=http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/imgad/1482981/verisign_2014_interstitial_2.html%3Ft%3D10%26cT%3Dhttp%253A//bizjournals.com%26l%3Dhttp%253A//www.bizjournals.com/dallas/search/results%253Fq%253DSandy%252520Greyson\">Sandy Greyson\u003c/a> said the group was considering a limitation comparable to other nearby cities, but unanimously agreed that the idea was not for Dallas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://cityhallblog.dallasnews.com/2014/02/lyfts-co-founder-weighs-in-on-dallas-attempt-to-rewrite-transportation-for-hire-rules-and-allegations-of-redlining.html/\" target=\"_blank\">Dallas Morning News\u003c/a> (Feb 25)\u003c/em> “We’re gonna fight to stay there,” (Lyft CEO John Zimmer) says. “There are thousands of drivers and passengers in Dallas and across the country that believe in this mission and movement, and we’ll be there alongside them to make sure we work together in a responsible and thoughtful way with local officials and defend their right to do this....”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Lyft isn’t waiting for anything: In recent days it has expanded its local coverage area, stretching from Farmers Branch to Duncanville to Pleasant Grove to Garland, \u003ca href=\"https://www.lyft.me/help?article=1302208\" target=\"_blank\">or thereabouts\u003c/a>. Zimmer says that was a “organic expansion” based on data provided by Lyft’s app. There are a handful of hot spots, he notes, around Lower Greenville and Uptown and downtown, but Lyft’s seeing a lot of use all over, so it made sense to recruit more drivers and widen the area in which rides are being shared.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Denver\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://blogs.denverpost.com/techknowbytes/2014/02/11/ride-sharing-bill-drives-amid-concerns-raise-auto-insurance-rates-statewide/13087/\" target=\"_blank\">\u003cem>Denver Post\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>(Feb 11) \u003c/em>The Senate Business, Labor and Technology committee on Tuesday approved a bill that would \u003ca href=\"http://blogs.denverpost.com/techknowbytes/2014/01/28/colorado-puc-director-raises-concerns-uber-lyfts-ride-sharing-bill/12967/\">lightly regulate ride-sharing companies\u003c/a> such as Lyft and \u003ca title=\"Posts tagged with uberX\" href=\"http://blogs.denverpost.com/techknowbytes/tag/uberx/\" rel=\"tag\">UberX\u003c/a> .... \u003ca title=\"Posts tagged with senate bill 125\" href=\"http://blogs.denverpost.com/techknowbytes/tag/senate-bill-125/\" rel=\"tag\">Senate Bill 125\u003c/a> would classify Lyft and UberX as transportation network companies, or TNCs, and place them under limited PUC oversight. Lyft and UberX have developed smartphone apps that connect passengers with drivers, who use their personal cars for the ride .... Colorado regulators and lawmakers say that if a ride-sharing measure isn’t passed, the companies would be forced to shut down.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Detroit\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://www.freep.com/article/20140216/BUSINESS06/302160040/Uber-car-service\" target=\"_blank\">Detroit Free Press\u003c/a> (Feb 16) \u003c/em>In Detroit, state and local police have the go-ahead to ticket Uber drivers who, intentionally or not, failed to get licensed as a driver for hire, officials told the Free Press. Penalties for unlicensed operations run from a fine up to $500 to jail time. The city said officers have not issued any tickets yet ....\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(R)epresentatives for the Michigan Department of Transportation and the City of Detroit told the Free Press that they still consider UberX as drivers for hire under the law because they charge customers for rides. Those drivers must therefore obtain a $300 Certificate of Authority from the state and a $110 limo operator’s license from the Detroit Police Department, which would inspect their vehicle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber Technologies is also required to register with MDOT as a limo carrier, which it has not done, according to Sharon Edgar, MDOT administrator in the office of passenger transportation. Edgar said she sent a noncompliance notice in December to Uber’s Detroit office but hasn’t heard back. White, when asked in an e-mail, did not address the state notice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://www.wxyz.com/news/smartphone-car-service-uber-and-uberx-hits-rough-road-detroit-puts-on-brakes\" target=\"_blank\">WXYZ\u003c/a> (Feb 18) \u003c/em>Detroit City Attorney Melvin Butch Hollowell (says) UberX is not following city licensing requirements and Hollowell is issuing a cease and desist order.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Houston\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2014/02/25/city-of-houston-committee-takes-a-hard-look-at.html\" target=\"_blank\">\u003cem>Houston Business Journal\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>(Feb 25)\u003c/em> Unless Mayor Annise Parker decides to voluntarily put new vehicle-for-hire ordinances on the city council agenda, Tina Paez, the director of the Administration & Regulatory Affairs department, said it is most likely that discussions regarding new ordinances will continue at the committee meeting next month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This probably isn’t welcome news for Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft, which launched some of their services for free, as a promotion, last week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unless the companies, which are offering free rides to customers who request ride services from their apps, plan to continue offering free rides for the next month, this could cause some trouble. If the companies ask for payment or donations for their rides, the city said it will charge drivers with violating city ordinances and it will charge them penalties of up to $500.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Already, the city confirmed that there has been one instance where a Lyft driver charged a rider for a ride, and the city charged the driver with three different violations.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2014/03/city_of_houston_to_uber_stop_s.php\" target=\"_blank\">Houston Press\u003c/a> (March 3) \u003c/em>Some 10,000 Houstonians signed an online petition in support of (Uber), the most vocal of whom are young, urbanites who are strong supporters of the technological aspects of the service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What was the city's response?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Apparently, the city is tired of having its inbox filled up with Uber petition signatures because it \u003ca href=\"http://blog.uber.com/HoustonStandUp\">issued a cease and desist to the folks at Uber\u003c/a> asking Uber to stop the flow of petition e-mails to city mailboxes\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Minneapolis\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_25250479/lyfts-free-ride-deal-gives-it-two-week\" target=\"_blank\">St. Paul Pioneer Press\u003c/a> (Feb 28)\u003c/em> Taxi-like car-sharing service Lyft has launched a multi-city free-ride deal that just happens to get it out of hot water with the City of Minneapolis -- at least for the next two weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyft, consisting of driver-owned vehicles that customers summon with smartphone apps, said it will pick up the tab for rides costing up to $25 apiece.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The promotion temporarily defuses a disagreement with Minneapolis officials, who have insisted that Lyft be licensed like a taxi service, something this and similar services adamantly oppose....\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Minneapolis had threatened to ticket and tow Lyft vehicles once they began operating Thursday as scheduled, but now said it will hold off if money isn't changing hands.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pittsburgh\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.post-gazette.com/business/2014/02/18/Peduto-asks-for-rule-change-on-ride-sharing-operations/stories/201402180175\" target=\"_blank\">\u003cem>Pittsburgh Post-Gazette\u003c/em>\u003c/a> (Feb 19) Mayor Bill Peduto wants the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to change its rules to allow for ride-sharing operations in Pittsburgh. \"As mayor, I support the expansion of transportation options in our city and recognize the need for a broader and more diverse suite of options to get people around town quickly, safely, and reliably,\" Mr. Peduto wrote in a letter to PUC executive director Jan Freeman on Tuesday. \"This includes these new companies but it also includes legacy jitney drivers who serve communities that have been red-lined out of traditional taxicab and limousine service....\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mr. Peduto and Councilman Dan Gilman said Tuesday that they propose amending Chapter 29 of the PUC code to create a new class of regulated transportation service providers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That would be akin to what the California Public Utilities Commission did in September, when it created a new class of business known as a Transportation Network Company.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Seattle\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2023019652_rideshareenforcementxml.html\" target=\"_blank\">Seattle Times\u003c/a> (Feb 28)\u003c/em> A majority of Seattle City Council members approved a cap on the number of drivers for Lyft, uberX and Sidecar at a standing-room-only taxi-committee meeting Thursday night .... If the proposal passes a full council vote next month, it would allow an unlimited number of drivers, but no more than 150 of them, using their personal cars, could work at any given time for each company. The measure would take effect a month after Mayor Ed Murray signs it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Each prospective driver would have to apply for a Transportation Network Company (TNC) permit. In order to get it, drivers would have to take driver-safety training, but it would be less intensive than the for-hire training that taxi and flat-rate car drivers are required to take.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under the earlier proposal, which did not pass, the taxi committee had recommended a cap of 300 TNC-permitted drivers who could contract with Lyft, uberX and Sidecar. All 300 of those drivers could choose which company they want to work for.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>And don't stop there: \u003ca href=\"http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-57618627-76/paris-taxi-drivers-strike-but-uber-opens-second-front-in-the-war/\" target=\"_blank\">Around\u003c/a> the \u003ca href=\"http://www.ibtimes.com/uber-opens-china-shanghai-restricts-use-popular-taxi-booking-apps-1558379\" target=\"_blank\">globe\u003c/a>, app-based transpo is coming to a \u003ca href=\"http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2012/10/uber-launches-in-australia-to-carry-you-through-sydney-in-style/\" target=\"_blank\">nation\u003c/a> near you!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"disqusTitle": "What UberX Drivers Are Saying About Their Training and Safety Issues",
"title": "What UberX Drivers Are Saying About Their Training and Safety Issues",
"headTitle": "News Fix | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_126917\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/01/RS8866_UberX_3-lpr.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-126917\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/01/RS8866_UberX_3-lpr-640x426.jpg\" alt=\"The California Public Utilities Commission requires Transportation Network Companies like UberX to display signage. (Jeremy Raff/KQED)\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The California Public Utilities Commission requires transportation network companies like UberX to display signage. (Jeremy Raff/KQED) \u003ccite>(Jeremy Raff/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">O\u003c/span>n March 6, the \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfbos.org/index.aspx?page=13992\" target=\"_blank\">Neighborhood Services and Safety Committee\u003c/a> of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors will hold a hearing on safety issues related to ride-service companies like Lyft and UberX.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The hearing was prompted by two accidents in San Francisco: On New Year's Eve an UberX driver struck three members of a family in a crosswalk, \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/01/02/122446/\" target=\"_blank\">killing a 6-year-old girl\u003c/a>. And in January a \u003ca href=\"http://venturebeat.com/2014/01/17/lyft-car-reportedly-in-accident-in-san-francisco-injuring-pedestrian/\" target=\"_blank\">Lyft driver struck an elderly woman\u003c/a>, fracturing her leg.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nobody knows just how many TNC (transportation network company) vehicles are whizzing around town carrying passengers, but the San Francisco Cab Drivers Association, an avowed archenemy of the nascent industry, says it has counted more than 3,000 to date.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We interviewed a number of TNC drivers to hear firsthand what they thought about safety issues, and eventually focused on those who drive for UberX, since they were the ones who most frequently described a lack of attention to driver safety and training within the sign-up process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are the main points, corroborated by the six UberX drivers we interviewed:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>UberX has not been inspecting drivers' cars, as required by the California Public Utiltiies Commission (CPUC), but simply reviews vehicle photos supplied by the drivers.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>UberX does not observe applicants actually driving before they are approved to work for the company.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>UberX applicants receive no training related to safe driving before they are approved.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Other issues emerged as well. Several drivers said that the UberX app, which is provided on a separate cellphone from the driver's personal phone, can be distracting. And two drivers said the ratings that each passenger gives to each driver can lead to unsafe driving, either because of a pressure to chat with riders or to drive faster than is advisable.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignleft\"> UberX's driver training submission stands out for its brevity — just four paragraphs. \u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Almost all the interviewees said UberX’s process of signing up many drivers at the same time included no scrutiny or assessment of individuals beyond the background checks mandated by the state. One driver described the process as \"like a cattle call.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>I\u003c/strong>n a series of emails back and forth with KQED, UberX spokesman Andrew Noyes did not provide direct responses to these specific findings, but did volunteer that “Uber has submitted a proposal to the CPUC that addresses some of the issues you’ve outlined and we’re awaiting their approval.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Accidents get supervisors' attention\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On New Year's Eve, while driving for UberX, Syed Muzaffar, 57, of Union City, struck three pedestrians in the Tenderloin, killing 6-year-old Sofia Liu. The girl’s family has since \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/01/27/lawyer-filing-suit-against-ride-service-company-uber-in-death-of-6-year-o/\" target=\"_blank\">filed a lawsuit\u003c/a> against Muzaffar and Uber, claiming the driver app runs afoul of California’s distracted-driving laws. Muzaffar had been \u003ca href=\"http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/2014/01/uber-uberx-sofia-liu.html?page=all\" target=\"_blank\">convicted of reckless driving\u003c/a> in Florida in 2004, a \u003ca href=\"http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-02-14/news/chi-uber-apologizes-for-missing-conviction-in-check-of-driver-20140214_1_chicago-tribune-driver-background\" target=\"_blank\">revelation\u003c/a> that was the first of several concerning \u003ca href=\"http://pando.com/2014/01/06/exclusive-uber-driver-accused-of-assault-passed-zero-tolerance-background-check-despite-criminal-history/\" target=\"_blank\">inadequate background checks\u003c/a> by UberX. (The company has since \u003ca href=\"http://blog.sfgate.com/techchron/2014/02/12/uber-to-vet-drivers-more-thoroughly/\" target=\"_blank\">announced\u003c/a> an upgrade of its vetting process.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supervisor Jane Kim, whose district includes the intersection where the New Year’s Eve fatality occurred, told KQED that the incident raised “questions regarding the driver training and selection process for the increasing number of ride-share drivers on our city streets. While emerging driver service apps fulfill an important need for flexible on-demand transportation in San Francisco, we must examine a universal baseline of scrutiny and safety oversight for these services.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[soundcloud url=\"https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/135925422\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supervisor Eric Mar, who is organizing the upcoming hearing on March 6, told us “there were questions raised by the Sofia Liu accident and the (Lyft) accident. People want to ensure that drivers are well monitored and there are safety precautions that companies are ensuring. What are the driver training and safety precautions that this new, unregulated industry is adhering to?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Driver training?\u003cbr>\n\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC has made public safety its \u003cem>raison d'etre\u003c/em> for claiming regulatory oversight of the TNCs. In its \u003ca href=\"http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M077/K192/77192335.PDF\">decision\u003c/a> last year giving \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2013/07/31/cpuc-rideshare-decision/\" target=\"_blank\">the ride-service firms sanction to operate in the state\u003c/a>, the commission wrote that “protecting and enhancing public safety is the paramount purpose behind regulating this industry. We initiated this rule-making for the sole purpose of determining how TNCs affect public safety.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Aside from requiring background checks, one way the CPUC tried to address the issue of public safety was by mandating driver training programs. From Page 27 of the agency's decision:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>TNCs shall establish a driver training program to ensure that all drivers are safely operating the vehicle prior to the driver being able to offer service. This program must be filed with the Commission within 45 days of the adoption of this decision. TNCs must report to the Commission on an annual basis the number of drivers that became eligible and completed the course.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>We obtained these required filings from the CPUC. Below is Uber's, which stands out for its brevity -- just one page, including double spacing and double paragraph breaks. Filing as Rasier, its ride-service subsidiary, Uber submitted under a heading of “\u003ca href=\"//www.scribd.com/doc/203225658/Rasier-Driver-Training-Program%E2%80%9D\" target=\"_blank\">Driver Training Program\u003c/a>” exactly four paragraphs, with the actual steps the company plans to enhance driver training expressed in two sentences:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>Rasier will also recommend that partners with less than five years of driving history take a driver training course at a school listed in the California DMV’s Occupational License Status Information System database. For each California city where Rasier partners operate, Rasier will provide, during the application or onboarding process, a list of three such local driving schools.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We were a little surprised that the company would submit to its regulatory agency a driver safety plan that can fit on a midsize cocktail napkin. So we asked Uber if they had given the CPUC anything else related to driver training. They said, yes, they had submitted additional materials to the CPUC. At our request, the CPUC went back to double-check, then came back to us with nope, that's all there is.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I asked Supervisor Jane Kim what she thought of Uber's skimpy driver-safety filing. She said it didn't surprise her, as \u003ca href=\"http://www.therecorder.com/id=1202625115231/Uber-Tries-to-Hit-Brakes-on-CPUC-Ridesharing-Rules?slreturn=20140119134750\" target=\"_blank\">Uber's appeal\u003c/a> of the CPUC's \"very limited regulations\" was a \"statement in and of itself.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In contrast to Uber's ultra-short filing, both \u003ca href=\"http://www.scribd.com/doc/203225643/Lyft-CPUC-Report\">Lyft\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"http://www.scribd.com/doc/203225680/Sidecar-Driver-Training-Program\">Sidecar\u003c/a> filed documents describing driver training programs that were a little more extensive. Lyft, for instance, now requires applicants to drive with a \"mentor,\" who assesses candidates' suitability. Nathan Rosquist, 32, who has been driving in the Bay Area for Lyft since January, said he drove with his mentor for 30-40 minutes. The mentor also inspected his car. Lyft says these required ride-alongs have been in place since mid-October.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>'You're good to go'\u003cbr>\n\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The UberX drivers we spoke to described the company's driver-safety program as perfunctory. Four of the drivers would talk to us only if we agreed to withhold their names, because they were either afraid their insurance companies would find out they drive commercially or they did not want to jeopardize their standing with UberX.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Erika Maldonado, 25, of San Francisco, is a former KQED intern who recently signed up with UberX after the company offered financial incentives to lure away Lyft drivers. Maldonado said there was little if any material about safe driving in Uber's approval process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[contextly_sidebar id=\"3f483b40852154ec4c30952976dd9410\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All the training is a video tutorial online that you do at home. Standards for having your car clean, encouraging you to dress your best and look more professional. Some conduct things -- like telling you not to ask for tips or a good rating. And how to use the app.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tyler Granlund, 31, of Los Angeles, said in his training, he got “just the basics of how to provide the customers good service and what they expect from the driver.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It was like a factory,\" said a 27-year-old male driver from Oakland. \"I went in there and in a five-minute turnaround, I was an Uber driver.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I went down there and there were just hundreds of people signing up,\" said Mikey, a 32-year-old UberX driver from the East Bay. \"I see someone, he gives me the phone and asks if I saw the training video. He said, 'You’re all good to go.' ”\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Car inspection by photo\u003cbr>\n\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC decision requires TNCs to either conduct a 19-point inspection “prior to allowing the driver to operate the vehicle” or to have the vehicle inspected at a facility licensed by the California Bureau of Automotive Repair. None of the drivers we spoke to had anybody from UberX look at ther cars. Instead, UberX requires drivers to upload photos of their vehicles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"You have to submit photos of every angle of your car, and interior photos,\" said Granlund. \"Those had to be approved before you could drive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC inspection mandate includes items such as brakes, steering, headlights, seat belts, muffler and exhaust -- things that would be hard to assess, seemingly, from photos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I asked Eric Mar what he thought about the lack of direct inspection of driver vehicles. “That just highlights how unregulated it is,” he said. “That would make me really nervous, that there’s not a physical inspection.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As far as judging driving abilities, none of the drivers were observed operating their vehicle by anyone from UberX.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber spokesman Noyes said the company is currently in the process of \"securing a relationship with an inspection service.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Are TNCs creating distracted drivers?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the drivers we interviewed is a 40-something who lives in San Francisco and has been driving as many as 40-plus hours a week for UberX since before the CPUC rendered its decision last year. She says she is \"close to quitting\" because she does not believe it's currently possible for TNC drivers to get proper insurance and because she thinks the work is extremely dangerous.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignleft\"> 'I see a lot of (ride-service) drivers suddenly stopping in the middle of traffic to pick up a rider.'\u003ccite> Uber driver \u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>There are a “lot of factors working against” driving safely, she said. \"I’m multitasking a lot. I'm engaging in conversations with strangers in my car, trying to navigate correctly to my destination, paying attention to the GPS if I need it and interacting with the app if I need to. Like most drivers, I tend to drive at the most lucrative times, and those are the most dangerous times because there's the most drivers on the road and the most pedestrians. Every single time I drive I either see an accident, the aftermath, or I will see several near-misses.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I asked her if she thought there should be more evaluation of drivers by UberX. \"Oh God, yeah,\" she said. She does not believe the company places an emphasis on safe driving.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Everything they communicate to the driver is about providing the best, most professional, most convenient, expedient service to the rider.\" That, she said, can be at odds with traffic laws, encouraging double-parking or blocking traffic in order to give the customer the closest pickup point.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"There's unspoken pressure from Uber to pick the rider up exactly where they are, as opposed to finding the safest place to pull over. The riders often won’t see you or find you easily unless you pull up right to where they are. I see a lot of (ride-service) drivers suddenly stopping in the middle of traffic to pick up a rider. They don't put on their hazards, don’t give drivers any warning. They’re paying attention to their app.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said the notion that the app encourages distracted driving, as asserted in the lawsuit of Sofia Liu's family, is valid, especially when taken in the context of everything else a TNC driver has to contend with.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It gives you an audible beep when a ride comes through. Most drivers are going to look at where the ride is coming from and decide if they want it based on where it is. You tap it (to accept). Then you have to look at the location of where the person is, figure out where you are and the quickest way to get to them. If you're a smart, safe driver, you’re going to pull over and look at the map. But the truth is you're not always in a circumstance where you can do that, so you’re doing it while driving and navigating traffic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Plus you have strangers in your car who are having a conversation with you and ... that’s an important part of having a good rating.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_126925\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 307px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/01/8865_transform.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\" wp-image-126925 \" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/01/8865_transform-512x640.jpg\" alt=\"UberX drivers receive a company phone and emblem after signing up. (Jeremy Raff/KQED)\" width=\"307\" height=\"384\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">UberX drivers receive a company phone and emblem after signing up. (Jeremy Raff/KQED) \u003ccite>((Jeremy Raff/KQED))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Two other drivers who have driven for both UberX and Lyft agreed the app is distracting. “With Uber more than Lyft, it creates a distraction because you are using two phones, one to accept a request and another to navigate and call the passenger,” one driver said. “Lyft has a navigation installed in their app so there's less fumbling between phones, but both systems typically lead to drivers looking at their phones. Unless you are pulled over between every request, it is impossible to avoid.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"You're scrambling between two different phones, various apps, busy streets, etc.,” said another driver. “I'd say probably not the safest.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The driver from San Francisco also thinks Uber's habit of raising fares in areas with the most demand, called \"surge pricing,\" encourages unsafe driving. Surge pricing comes into play at periods of peak demand, such as on New Year's Eve or during storms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"When there’s high surge pricing there’s intense incentive to get to the part of town where it’s happening. If you’re in the Sunset and you see that you're going to be paid three or four times better downtown, you want to get downtown as fast as you can. Surge pricing on New Year's Eve was crazy, six times (the regular price) in a four-block radius downtown, and the next block only two times. I can tell you, even as someone who works extra hard to be a super-paranoid defensive driver, when you see surge pricing go on, you want to get to that area the fastest you can, and you’re paying attention on the phone where the surge pricing is.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong> City officials want local regulations\u003cbr>\n\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since everyone has their favorite story of a San Francisco cab driver re-enacting the \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBLOLi_Ex-Q\" target=\"_blank\">chase scene\u003c/a> from “Bullitt,” you may be wondering by now if taxis are any better. To be fair, a couple of our UberX interviewees who were very critical of the company's lack of attention to driver safety also said they've seen taxis driving as recklessly as or worse than TNCs. But one thing to keep in mind: There are just 1,900 licensed cabs in the city, while no caps exist on the number of ride-service drivers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cab drivers are also required to go to “taxi school” before being certified. But Christiane Hayashi, director of Taxis and Accessible Services for the SFMTA, said that until now, no discernible standards for taxi schools have been in effect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, earlier this month the agency rolled out a \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/01/TDT-101-Driver-Training-School-Cert1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">new set of taxi-school standards\u003c/a>. These stipulate course length, instructor credentials, curriculum and testing. Courses must last a minimum of 28 hours, and the SFMTA has laid out specific time requirements for topics like maps/routes/locations, the California Vehicle Code and traffic safety, pedestrian safety, and taxi rules and regulations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is the sort of requirement that city officials would like to see applied to ride-service firms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I believe (TNCs) fulfill a need,\" said Supervisor Kim. \"But I believe that regulations (the city) holds taxicabs to will make them better. They should be held to the same standards that our taxi drivers are.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mar said his March hearing will address “what authority we have locally to protect public safety” when it comes to TNCs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But unlike in Seattle, where the city is \u003ca href=\"http://www.geekwire.com/2014/seattles-updated-ride-sharing-ordinance/\" target=\"_blank\">considering putting limits\u003c/a> on the number of ride-service drivers, or Chicago, where a \u003ca href=\"http://www.wbez.org/news/city-moves-regulate-rideshare-companies-109639\" target=\"_blank\">per-driver fee is under consideration\u003c/a>, the city may not have much recourse except to push the CPUC for stricter regulations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For now, in battling regulations around the country, \u003ca href=\"http://www.geekwire.com/2014/seattle-ride-sharing-innovation/\" target=\"_blank\">Lyft CEO John Zimmer has pointed to California\u003c/a> as a model of what ride-service regulation should look like.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_126917\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/01/RS8866_UberX_3-lpr.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-126917\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/01/RS8866_UberX_3-lpr-640x426.jpg\" alt=\"The California Public Utilities Commission requires Transportation Network Companies like UberX to display signage. (Jeremy Raff/KQED)\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The California Public Utilities Commission requires transportation network companies like UberX to display signage. (Jeremy Raff/KQED) \u003ccite>(Jeremy Raff/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">O\u003c/span>n March 6, the \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfbos.org/index.aspx?page=13992\" target=\"_blank\">Neighborhood Services and Safety Committee\u003c/a> of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors will hold a hearing on safety issues related to ride-service companies like Lyft and UberX.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The hearing was prompted by two accidents in San Francisco: On New Year's Eve an UberX driver struck three members of a family in a crosswalk, \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/01/02/122446/\" target=\"_blank\">killing a 6-year-old girl\u003c/a>. And in January a \u003ca href=\"http://venturebeat.com/2014/01/17/lyft-car-reportedly-in-accident-in-san-francisco-injuring-pedestrian/\" target=\"_blank\">Lyft driver struck an elderly woman\u003c/a>, fracturing her leg.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nobody knows just how many TNC (transportation network company) vehicles are whizzing around town carrying passengers, but the San Francisco Cab Drivers Association, an avowed archenemy of the nascent industry, says it has counted more than 3,000 to date.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We interviewed a number of TNC drivers to hear firsthand what they thought about safety issues, and eventually focused on those who drive for UberX, since they were the ones who most frequently described a lack of attention to driver safety and training within the sign-up process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are the main points, corroborated by the six UberX drivers we interviewed:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>UberX has not been inspecting drivers' cars, as required by the California Public Utiltiies Commission (CPUC), but simply reviews vehicle photos supplied by the drivers.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>UberX does not observe applicants actually driving before they are approved to work for the company.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>UberX applicants receive no training related to safe driving before they are approved.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Other issues emerged as well. Several drivers said that the UberX app, which is provided on a separate cellphone from the driver's personal phone, can be distracting. And two drivers said the ratings that each passenger gives to each driver can lead to unsafe driving, either because of a pressure to chat with riders or to drive faster than is advisable.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignleft\"> UberX's driver training submission stands out for its brevity — just four paragraphs. \u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Almost all the interviewees said UberX’s process of signing up many drivers at the same time included no scrutiny or assessment of individuals beyond the background checks mandated by the state. One driver described the process as \"like a cattle call.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>I\u003c/strong>n a series of emails back and forth with KQED, UberX spokesman Andrew Noyes did not provide direct responses to these specific findings, but did volunteer that “Uber has submitted a proposal to the CPUC that addresses some of the issues you’ve outlined and we’re awaiting their approval.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Accidents get supervisors' attention\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On New Year's Eve, while driving for UberX, Syed Muzaffar, 57, of Union City, struck three pedestrians in the Tenderloin, killing 6-year-old Sofia Liu. The girl’s family has since \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/01/27/lawyer-filing-suit-against-ride-service-company-uber-in-death-of-6-year-o/\" target=\"_blank\">filed a lawsuit\u003c/a> against Muzaffar and Uber, claiming the driver app runs afoul of California’s distracted-driving laws. Muzaffar had been \u003ca href=\"http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/2014/01/uber-uberx-sofia-liu.html?page=all\" target=\"_blank\">convicted of reckless driving\u003c/a> in Florida in 2004, a \u003ca href=\"http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-02-14/news/chi-uber-apologizes-for-missing-conviction-in-check-of-driver-20140214_1_chicago-tribune-driver-background\" target=\"_blank\">revelation\u003c/a> that was the first of several concerning \u003ca href=\"http://pando.com/2014/01/06/exclusive-uber-driver-accused-of-assault-passed-zero-tolerance-background-check-despite-criminal-history/\" target=\"_blank\">inadequate background checks\u003c/a> by UberX. (The company has since \u003ca href=\"http://blog.sfgate.com/techchron/2014/02/12/uber-to-vet-drivers-more-thoroughly/\" target=\"_blank\">announced\u003c/a> an upgrade of its vetting process.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supervisor Jane Kim, whose district includes the intersection where the New Year’s Eve fatality occurred, told KQED that the incident raised “questions regarding the driver training and selection process for the increasing number of ride-share drivers on our city streets. While emerging driver service apps fulfill an important need for flexible on-demand transportation in San Francisco, we must examine a universal baseline of scrutiny and safety oversight for these services.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cdiv class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__shortcodes__shortcodeWrapper'>\n \u003ciframe width='undefined' height='undefined'\n scrolling='no' frameborder='no'\n src='https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/135925422&visual=true&undefined'\n title='https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/135925422'>\n \u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/div>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supervisor Eric Mar, who is organizing the upcoming hearing on March 6, told us “there were questions raised by the Sofia Liu accident and the (Lyft) accident. People want to ensure that drivers are well monitored and there are safety precautions that companies are ensuring. What are the driver training and safety precautions that this new, unregulated industry is adhering to?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Driver training?\u003cbr>\n\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC has made public safety its \u003cem>raison d'etre\u003c/em> for claiming regulatory oversight of the TNCs. In its \u003ca href=\"http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M077/K192/77192335.PDF\">decision\u003c/a> last year giving \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2013/07/31/cpuc-rideshare-decision/\" target=\"_blank\">the ride-service firms sanction to operate in the state\u003c/a>, the commission wrote that “protecting and enhancing public safety is the paramount purpose behind regulating this industry. We initiated this rule-making for the sole purpose of determining how TNCs affect public safety.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Aside from requiring background checks, one way the CPUC tried to address the issue of public safety was by mandating driver training programs. From Page 27 of the agency's decision:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>TNCs shall establish a driver training program to ensure that all drivers are safely operating the vehicle prior to the driver being able to offer service. This program must be filed with the Commission within 45 days of the adoption of this decision. TNCs must report to the Commission on an annual basis the number of drivers that became eligible and completed the course.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>We obtained these required filings from the CPUC. Below is Uber's, which stands out for its brevity -- just one page, including double spacing and double paragraph breaks. Filing as Rasier, its ride-service subsidiary, Uber submitted under a heading of “\u003ca href=\"//www.scribd.com/doc/203225658/Rasier-Driver-Training-Program%E2%80%9D\" target=\"_blank\">Driver Training Program\u003c/a>” exactly four paragraphs, with the actual steps the company plans to enhance driver training expressed in two sentences:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>Rasier will also recommend that partners with less than five years of driving history take a driver training course at a school listed in the California DMV’s Occupational License Status Information System database. For each California city where Rasier partners operate, Rasier will provide, during the application or onboarding process, a list of three such local driving schools.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We were a little surprised that the company would submit to its regulatory agency a driver safety plan that can fit on a midsize cocktail napkin. So we asked Uber if they had given the CPUC anything else related to driver training. They said, yes, they had submitted additional materials to the CPUC. At our request, the CPUC went back to double-check, then came back to us with nope, that's all there is.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I asked Supervisor Jane Kim what she thought of Uber's skimpy driver-safety filing. She said it didn't surprise her, as \u003ca href=\"http://www.therecorder.com/id=1202625115231/Uber-Tries-to-Hit-Brakes-on-CPUC-Ridesharing-Rules?slreturn=20140119134750\" target=\"_blank\">Uber's appeal\u003c/a> of the CPUC's \"very limited regulations\" was a \"statement in and of itself.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In contrast to Uber's ultra-short filing, both \u003ca href=\"http://www.scribd.com/doc/203225643/Lyft-CPUC-Report\">Lyft\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"http://www.scribd.com/doc/203225680/Sidecar-Driver-Training-Program\">Sidecar\u003c/a> filed documents describing driver training programs that were a little more extensive. Lyft, for instance, now requires applicants to drive with a \"mentor,\" who assesses candidates' suitability. Nathan Rosquist, 32, who has been driving in the Bay Area for Lyft since January, said he drove with his mentor for 30-40 minutes. The mentor also inspected his car. Lyft says these required ride-alongs have been in place since mid-October.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>'You're good to go'\u003cbr>\n\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The UberX drivers we spoke to described the company's driver-safety program as perfunctory. Four of the drivers would talk to us only if we agreed to withhold their names, because they were either afraid their insurance companies would find out they drive commercially or they did not want to jeopardize their standing with UberX.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Erika Maldonado, 25, of San Francisco, is a former KQED intern who recently signed up with UberX after the company offered financial incentives to lure away Lyft drivers. Maldonado said there was little if any material about safe driving in Uber's approval process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All the training is a video tutorial online that you do at home. Standards for having your car clean, encouraging you to dress your best and look more professional. Some conduct things -- like telling you not to ask for tips or a good rating. And how to use the app.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tyler Granlund, 31, of Los Angeles, said in his training, he got “just the basics of how to provide the customers good service and what they expect from the driver.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It was like a factory,\" said a 27-year-old male driver from Oakland. \"I went in there and in a five-minute turnaround, I was an Uber driver.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I went down there and there were just hundreds of people signing up,\" said Mikey, a 32-year-old UberX driver from the East Bay. \"I see someone, he gives me the phone and asks if I saw the training video. He said, 'You’re all good to go.' ”\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Car inspection by photo\u003cbr>\n\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC decision requires TNCs to either conduct a 19-point inspection “prior to allowing the driver to operate the vehicle” or to have the vehicle inspected at a facility licensed by the California Bureau of Automotive Repair. None of the drivers we spoke to had anybody from UberX look at ther cars. Instead, UberX requires drivers to upload photos of their vehicles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"You have to submit photos of every angle of your car, and interior photos,\" said Granlund. \"Those had to be approved before you could drive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC inspection mandate includes items such as brakes, steering, headlights, seat belts, muffler and exhaust -- things that would be hard to assess, seemingly, from photos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I asked Eric Mar what he thought about the lack of direct inspection of driver vehicles. “That just highlights how unregulated it is,” he said. “That would make me really nervous, that there’s not a physical inspection.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As far as judging driving abilities, none of the drivers were observed operating their vehicle by anyone from UberX.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uber spokesman Noyes said the company is currently in the process of \"securing a relationship with an inspection service.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Are TNCs creating distracted drivers?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the drivers we interviewed is a 40-something who lives in San Francisco and has been driving as many as 40-plus hours a week for UberX since before the CPUC rendered its decision last year. She says she is \"close to quitting\" because she does not believe it's currently possible for TNC drivers to get proper insurance and because she thinks the work is extremely dangerous.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignleft\"> 'I see a lot of (ride-service) drivers suddenly stopping in the middle of traffic to pick up a rider.'\u003ccite> Uber driver \u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>There are a “lot of factors working against” driving safely, she said. \"I’m multitasking a lot. I'm engaging in conversations with strangers in my car, trying to navigate correctly to my destination, paying attention to the GPS if I need it and interacting with the app if I need to. Like most drivers, I tend to drive at the most lucrative times, and those are the most dangerous times because there's the most drivers on the road and the most pedestrians. Every single time I drive I either see an accident, the aftermath, or I will see several near-misses.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I asked her if she thought there should be more evaluation of drivers by UberX. \"Oh God, yeah,\" she said. She does not believe the company places an emphasis on safe driving.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Everything they communicate to the driver is about providing the best, most professional, most convenient, expedient service to the rider.\" That, she said, can be at odds with traffic laws, encouraging double-parking or blocking traffic in order to give the customer the closest pickup point.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"There's unspoken pressure from Uber to pick the rider up exactly where they are, as opposed to finding the safest place to pull over. The riders often won’t see you or find you easily unless you pull up right to where they are. I see a lot of (ride-service) drivers suddenly stopping in the middle of traffic to pick up a rider. They don't put on their hazards, don’t give drivers any warning. They’re paying attention to their app.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said the notion that the app encourages distracted driving, as asserted in the lawsuit of Sofia Liu's family, is valid, especially when taken in the context of everything else a TNC driver has to contend with.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It gives you an audible beep when a ride comes through. Most drivers are going to look at where the ride is coming from and decide if they want it based on where it is. You tap it (to accept). Then you have to look at the location of where the person is, figure out where you are and the quickest way to get to them. If you're a smart, safe driver, you’re going to pull over and look at the map. But the truth is you're not always in a circumstance where you can do that, so you’re doing it while driving and navigating traffic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Plus you have strangers in your car who are having a conversation with you and ... that’s an important part of having a good rating.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_126925\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 307px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/01/8865_transform.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\" wp-image-126925 \" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/01/8865_transform-512x640.jpg\" alt=\"UberX drivers receive a company phone and emblem after signing up. (Jeremy Raff/KQED)\" width=\"307\" height=\"384\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">UberX drivers receive a company phone and emblem after signing up. (Jeremy Raff/KQED) \u003ccite>((Jeremy Raff/KQED))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Two other drivers who have driven for both UberX and Lyft agreed the app is distracting. “With Uber more than Lyft, it creates a distraction because you are using two phones, one to accept a request and another to navigate and call the passenger,” one driver said. “Lyft has a navigation installed in their app so there's less fumbling between phones, but both systems typically lead to drivers looking at their phones. Unless you are pulled over between every request, it is impossible to avoid.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"You're scrambling between two different phones, various apps, busy streets, etc.,” said another driver. “I'd say probably not the safest.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The driver from San Francisco also thinks Uber's habit of raising fares in areas with the most demand, called \"surge pricing,\" encourages unsafe driving. Surge pricing comes into play at periods of peak demand, such as on New Year's Eve or during storms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"When there’s high surge pricing there’s intense incentive to get to the part of town where it’s happening. If you’re in the Sunset and you see that you're going to be paid three or four times better downtown, you want to get downtown as fast as you can. Surge pricing on New Year's Eve was crazy, six times (the regular price) in a four-block radius downtown, and the next block only two times. I can tell you, even as someone who works extra hard to be a super-paranoid defensive driver, when you see surge pricing go on, you want to get to that area the fastest you can, and you’re paying attention on the phone where the surge pricing is.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong> City officials want local regulations\u003cbr>\n\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since everyone has their favorite story of a San Francisco cab driver re-enacting the \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBLOLi_Ex-Q\" target=\"_blank\">chase scene\u003c/a> from “Bullitt,” you may be wondering by now if taxis are any better. To be fair, a couple of our UberX interviewees who were very critical of the company's lack of attention to driver safety also said they've seen taxis driving as recklessly as or worse than TNCs. But one thing to keep in mind: There are just 1,900 licensed cabs in the city, while no caps exist on the number of ride-service drivers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cab drivers are also required to go to “taxi school” before being certified. But Christiane Hayashi, director of Taxis and Accessible Services for the SFMTA, said that until now, no discernible standards for taxi schools have been in effect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, earlier this month the agency rolled out a \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/01/TDT-101-Driver-Training-School-Cert1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">new set of taxi-school standards\u003c/a>. These stipulate course length, instructor credentials, curriculum and testing. Courses must last a minimum of 28 hours, and the SFMTA has laid out specific time requirements for topics like maps/routes/locations, the California Vehicle Code and traffic safety, pedestrian safety, and taxi rules and regulations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is the sort of requirement that city officials would like to see applied to ride-service firms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I believe (TNCs) fulfill a need,\" said Supervisor Kim. \"But I believe that regulations (the city) holds taxicabs to will make them better. They should be held to the same standards that our taxi drivers are.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mar said his March hearing will address “what authority we have locally to protect public safety” when it comes to TNCs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But unlike in Seattle, where the city is \u003ca href=\"http://www.geekwire.com/2014/seattles-updated-ride-sharing-ordinance/\" target=\"_blank\">considering putting limits\u003c/a> on the number of ride-service drivers, or Chicago, where a \u003ca href=\"http://www.wbez.org/news/city-moves-regulate-rideshare-companies-109639\" target=\"_blank\">per-driver fee is under consideration\u003c/a>, the city may not have much recourse except to push the CPUC for stricter regulations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For now, in battling regulations around the country, \u003ca href=\"http://www.geekwire.com/2014/seattle-ride-sharing-innovation/\" target=\"_blank\">Lyft CEO John Zimmer has pointed to California\u003c/a> as a model of what ride-service regulation should look like.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"disqusTitle": "UberX and Lyft Disability Access Plans Not Wowing Advocates",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_105128\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 320px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-105128\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2013/07/LyftCar.jpg\" alt=\"Lyft car\" width=\"320\" height=\"233\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Lyft car drives in San Francisco (Steve Rhodes/Flickr)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Concerns-of-disabled-grow-along-with-ride-services-5240889.php\" target=\"_blank\">San Francisco Chronicle ran a story\u003c/a> Monday about disabled passengers' access to vehicles doing business through companies like UberX and Lyft. The Chron reported that the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is worried about disability access because a quarter of wheelchair-accessible cabs are currently off the streets due to a lack of drivers. One reason for that: So many taxi drivers have switched to driving for the ride-service firms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In its \u003ca href=\"http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M077/K192/77192335.PDF\" target=\"_blank\">decision\u003c/a> last year officially sanctioning these transportation network companies (or TNCs) to operate in California, the CPUC said it wants \"to ensure that there is no divide between service provided to the able and disabled communities.\" To that end, the commission is requiring that the companies allow passengers to indicate whether they need a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, and that TNCs like Lyft and UberX submit a yearly report stating how often the company was able to comply with the request. The first such report is due in September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC also requires that TNCs submit a \"plan for how the TNC will work to provide appropriate vehicles for passengers who specify access needs, including but not limited to a plan to provide incentive to individuals with accessible vehicles to become TNC drivers.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Chronicle looked at the access plans filed by Lyft, UberX, Sidecar, Tickengo (Wingz) and Instant Cab. Those last two proposed the most specific steps to meet the wheelchair requirement: InstantCab said it was considering offering higher pay to drivers with accessible vehicles, and Tickengo said it would cut its commission for such drivers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Below are documents filed by Lyft and UberX (filing as Rasier) in November. As you can see they are short on specifics as to how the companies will comply with the CPUC's mandate on wheelchair access. Marilyn Golden, senior policy analyst with the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, told KQED that \"these ride-sharing apps are not taking seriously their responsibilities under federal law and local regulation to provide full services for people with disabilities. ... It appears that they will not attempt the more difficult measures, such as establishing a fleet of wheelchair-accessible vehicles.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Golden called for the companies to be regulated as heavily as taxis, which come under local jurisdiction, not the state oversight they are subject to from the CPUC.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The state is now making a meager, somewhat problematic effort to regulate them, \" she said. \"It's not clear that they have the resources to monitor what they're doing.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Chronicle also talked to Larry Paradis, executive director of Disability Rights Advocates in Berkeley. He told the paper that the plans \"don't address the fundamental challenge, which is ensuring enough accessible vehicles to make this transportation system at least minimally accessible for people with mobility disabilities.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carla Johnson, interim director of the San Francisco Mayor's Office on Disability, questioned whether the CPUC \"has the resources to monitor or enforce these different plans.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 12px auto 6px auto;font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-style: normal;font-variant: normal;font-weight: normal;font-size: 14px;line-height: normal\">\u003ca style=\"text-decoration: underline\" title=\"View Rasier Accessibility Plan on Scribd\" href=\"http://www.scribd.com/doc/203225651/Rasier-Accessibility-Plan\">UberX Accessibility Plan\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 12px auto 6px auto;font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-style: normal;font-variant: normal;font-weight: normal;font-size: 14px;line-height: normal\">UberX says it \"will reach out to transportation companies with accessible vehicles about the possibility of partnering.\" The Chronicle reports that the company said it unsuccessfully tried to partner with a paratransit company in 2012.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe id=\"doc_84716\" src=\"//www.scribd.com/embeds/203225651/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-uwv9bllfblquwaxyanz&show_recommendations=true\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" width=\"100%\" height=\"600\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 12px auto 6px auto;font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-style: normal;font-variant: normal;font-weight: normal;font-size: 14px;line-height: normal\"> \u003ca style=\"text-decoration: underline\" title=\"View Lyft CPUC Report on Scribd\" href=\"http://www.scribd.com/doc/203225643/Lyft-CPUC-Report\">Lyft Accessibility Plan\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 12px auto 6px auto;font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-style: normal;font-variant: normal;font-weight: normal;font-size: 14px;line-height: normal\">Lyft says it is working to enable its app to allow drivers to indicate when their vehicle is wheelchair accessible, but it doesn't say anything about how it will work to provide those vehicles. The Chronicle reports Lyft also said \"it is working to engage and educate the handicapped community.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe id=\"doc_13531\" src=\"//www.scribd.com/embeds/203225643/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-2fy6hu6azvqhm47mu8mf&show_recommendations=true\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" width=\"100%\" height=\"600\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_105128\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 320px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-105128\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2013/07/LyftCar.jpg\" alt=\"Lyft car\" width=\"320\" height=\"233\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Lyft car drives in San Francisco (Steve Rhodes/Flickr)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Concerns-of-disabled-grow-along-with-ride-services-5240889.php\" target=\"_blank\">San Francisco Chronicle ran a story\u003c/a> Monday about disabled passengers' access to vehicles doing business through companies like UberX and Lyft. The Chron reported that the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is worried about disability access because a quarter of wheelchair-accessible cabs are currently off the streets due to a lack of drivers. One reason for that: So many taxi drivers have switched to driving for the ride-service firms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In its \u003ca href=\"http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M077/K192/77192335.PDF\" target=\"_blank\">decision\u003c/a> last year officially sanctioning these transportation network companies (or TNCs) to operate in California, the CPUC said it wants \"to ensure that there is no divide between service provided to the able and disabled communities.\" To that end, the commission is requiring that the companies allow passengers to indicate whether they need a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, and that TNCs like Lyft and UberX submit a yearly report stating how often the company was able to comply with the request. The first such report is due in September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC also requires that TNCs submit a \"plan for how the TNC will work to provide appropriate vehicles for passengers who specify access needs, including but not limited to a plan to provide incentive to individuals with accessible vehicles to become TNC drivers.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Chronicle looked at the access plans filed by Lyft, UberX, Sidecar, Tickengo (Wingz) and Instant Cab. Those last two proposed the most specific steps to meet the wheelchair requirement: InstantCab said it was considering offering higher pay to drivers with accessible vehicles, and Tickengo said it would cut its commission for such drivers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Below are documents filed by Lyft and UberX (filing as Rasier) in November. As you can see they are short on specifics as to how the companies will comply with the CPUC's mandate on wheelchair access. Marilyn Golden, senior policy analyst with the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, told KQED that \"these ride-sharing apps are not taking seriously their responsibilities under federal law and local regulation to provide full services for people with disabilities. ... It appears that they will not attempt the more difficult measures, such as establishing a fleet of wheelchair-accessible vehicles.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Golden called for the companies to be regulated as heavily as taxis, which come under local jurisdiction, not the state oversight they are subject to from the CPUC.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The state is now making a meager, somewhat problematic effort to regulate them, \" she said. \"It's not clear that they have the resources to monitor what they're doing.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Chronicle also talked to Larry Paradis, executive director of Disability Rights Advocates in Berkeley. He told the paper that the plans \"don't address the fundamental challenge, which is ensuring enough accessible vehicles to make this transportation system at least minimally accessible for people with mobility disabilities.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carla Johnson, interim director of the San Francisco Mayor's Office on Disability, questioned whether the CPUC \"has the resources to monitor or enforce these different plans.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 12px auto 6px auto;font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-style: normal;font-variant: normal;font-weight: normal;font-size: 14px;line-height: normal\">\u003ca style=\"text-decoration: underline\" title=\"View Rasier Accessibility Plan on Scribd\" href=\"http://www.scribd.com/doc/203225651/Rasier-Accessibility-Plan\">UberX Accessibility Plan\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 12px auto 6px auto;font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-style: normal;font-variant: normal;font-weight: normal;font-size: 14px;line-height: normal\">UberX says it \"will reach out to transportation companies with accessible vehicles about the possibility of partnering.\" The Chronicle reports that the company said it unsuccessfully tried to partner with a paratransit company in 2012.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe id=\"doc_84716\" src=\"//www.scribd.com/embeds/203225651/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-uwv9bllfblquwaxyanz&show_recommendations=true\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" width=\"100%\" height=\"600\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 12px auto 6px auto;font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-style: normal;font-variant: normal;font-weight: normal;font-size: 14px;line-height: normal\"> \u003ca style=\"text-decoration: underline\" title=\"View Lyft CPUC Report on Scribd\" href=\"http://www.scribd.com/doc/203225643/Lyft-CPUC-Report\">Lyft Accessibility Plan\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 12px auto 6px auto;font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-style: normal;font-variant: normal;font-weight: normal;font-size: 14px;line-height: normal\">Lyft says it is working to enable its app to allow drivers to indicate when their vehicle is wheelchair accessible, but it doesn't say anything about how it will work to provide those vehicles. The Chronicle reports Lyft also said \"it is working to engage and educate the handicapped community.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe id=\"doc_13531\" src=\"//www.scribd.com/embeds/203225643/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-2fy6hu6azvqhm47mu8mf&show_recommendations=true\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" width=\"100%\" height=\"600\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_118115\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-118115\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/11/lyft.jpg\" alt=\"Two agents from the same insurance company gave TNC driver different answers on whether they could provide coverage. (Deborah Svoboda/KQED)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Two agents from the same insurance company gave TNC driver different answers on whether they could provide coverage. (Deborah Svoboda/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The ride-service company Lyft on Wednesday \u003ca href=\"http://blog.lyft.com/post/75739276230/introducing-the-p2p-rideshare-insurance-coalition\" target=\"_blank\">announced\u003c/a> it is offering additional insurance coverage to augment a $1 million excess liability policy mandated by the California Public Utilities Commission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From the Lyft Blog:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>(W)e have worked with leading insurance carriers to now provide additional insurance solutions for drivers on the Lyft platform. Today, we’re excited to be the first company to announce three additional excess coverages now live:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Collision ($2,500 deductible and $50,000 maximum applicable to drivers who have purchased collision coverage on their personal policy)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Uninsured motorists ($1M limit covering drivers if they are hit by an uninsured motorist that is at fault)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Underinsured motorists ($1M limit covering drivers if they are hit by an underinsured motorist that is at fault)\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Two weeks ago, Kara Cross, general counsel for the Personal Insurance Federation of California, told us the lack of uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage was one of the defects in TNC insurance. Cross said that drivers injured while on a TNC call could only draw on the TNC coverage if the TNC driver was judged to be at fault. Lyft's new insurance coverage seems intended to address that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to the new coverage, Lyft said it is taking part in a new group called the Peer-to-Peer Rideshare Insurance Coalition, which will address \"how the insurance industry can continue evolving to support the growing peer-to-peer economy.\" Lyft said the group is made up of \"transportation companies, regulators, insurance providers, and other stakeholders,\" as well as the CPUC. The first meeting is scheduled for this month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Andrew Noyes, a spokesman for UberX, which has been luring Lyft drivers away with bonuses, said in an email that the company has offered uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage since December. He said while the company does not have collision coverage, \"we have been addressing this in practice by reimbursing drivers if their own collision insurance denies, with no deductible.\" \u003cstrong>\u003c/strong> \u003cstrong>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Insurance is something of an Achilles Heel for the burgeoning ride-service industry, which has stolen a substantial share of customers and even drivers from the local taxi industry. In November we wrote about a \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2013/11/14/who-pays-when-ride-share-driver-crashes\" target=\"_blank\">welter of issues\u003c/a> surrounding insurance for companies like Lyft, UberX, and Sidecar. Some of what we found:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>The Transportation Network Companies, or TNCS, as the CPUC designates them, say drivers’ personal insurance policies will cover some claims. The insurance industry says the policies won’t provide any coverage.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>The insurance industry says TNC drivers will have to buy commercial insurance to be covered when they’re driving for hire and maybe even when they’re not.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>We also talked to multiple drivers who have \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/01/20/ride-sharing-insurance-lyft-uberx-sidecar/\" target=\"_blank\">not told their insurance companies\u003c/a> about their TNC work because they are fearful their personal policies will be cancelled. At least two cancellations have been documented, including one in January, when a driver on a Lyft Facebook page posted a Geico cancellation notice she received for \"commercial use of your 2012 Toyota Prius.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The posting sparked a long online discussion among Lyft drivers. Wrote one fellow Lyft driver:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“No one, I mean no one told me my insurance would have a problem with it. What’s Lyft’s response to the fact that serving for them may end up with us losing insurance and possibly our livelihood?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyft's announcement today would not seem to solve that issue. On the Lyft Lounge, a posting of the announcement was greeted with a mixture of enthusiasm, skepticism, and questioning. Two comments:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>I still think before we jump onto the Good Ship Lollypop, we should get specific answers to specific questions. What we have now is a great first step, but we need to fully understand what we have here. So while this has calmed the troubled waters for now, it needs to be fully explained....unless of course, someone in the general community can do so.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>This is NOT a solution! It's still an excess insurance policy. In the event of an accident, you must still file a claim with your personal insurance company, and the excess policy will only kick in once your claim has been rejected. In addition to being rejected, your insurer will also drop your coverage. Doesn't sound victorious to me...\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>At one point in the long thread, Lyft CEO John Zimmer stepped in to answer doubters: \"Big step with the new coverages and we'll keep working on more to come.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to the cancellation risk, a fatal New Year's Eve accident in San Francisco involving an UberX driver brought to light the narrow circumstances under which TNCs consider their drivers covered. In that accident, the driver, who had come to the city for the express purpose of servicing UberX customers, according to his lawyer, was between calls. That excluded him from coverage, according to UberX. Lyft has a similar exclusion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In January, the \u003ca href=\"http://www.insurance.ca.gov/0250-insurers/0300-insurers/0200-bulletins/bulletin-notices-commiss-opinion/TransNetwkDrvrs.cfm\" target=\"_blank\">California Dept. of Insurance issued a warning to TNC drivers\u003c/a> about the insurance gap. And no less an authority than Consumer Reports recently published an article called \"\u003ca href=\"http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2014/01/dont-risk-car-insurance-as-part-time-taxi/index.htm?loginMethod=auto\" target=\"_blank\">Don't risk your car insurance by operating your vehicle as a part-time taxi\u003c/a>.\"\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_118115\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-118115\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/11/lyft.jpg\" alt=\"Two agents from the same insurance company gave TNC driver different answers on whether they could provide coverage. (Deborah Svoboda/KQED)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Two agents from the same insurance company gave TNC driver different answers on whether they could provide coverage. (Deborah Svoboda/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The ride-service company Lyft on Wednesday \u003ca href=\"http://blog.lyft.com/post/75739276230/introducing-the-p2p-rideshare-insurance-coalition\" target=\"_blank\">announced\u003c/a> it is offering additional insurance coverage to augment a $1 million excess liability policy mandated by the California Public Utilities Commission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From the Lyft Blog:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>(W)e have worked with leading insurance carriers to now provide additional insurance solutions for drivers on the Lyft platform. Today, we’re excited to be the first company to announce three additional excess coverages now live:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Collision ($2,500 deductible and $50,000 maximum applicable to drivers who have purchased collision coverage on their personal policy)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Uninsured motorists ($1M limit covering drivers if they are hit by an uninsured motorist that is at fault)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Underinsured motorists ($1M limit covering drivers if they are hit by an underinsured motorist that is at fault)\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Two weeks ago, Kara Cross, general counsel for the Personal Insurance Federation of California, told us the lack of uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage was one of the defects in TNC insurance. Cross said that drivers injured while on a TNC call could only draw on the TNC coverage if the TNC driver was judged to be at fault. Lyft's new insurance coverage seems intended to address that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to the new coverage, Lyft said it is taking part in a new group called the Peer-to-Peer Rideshare Insurance Coalition, which will address \"how the insurance industry can continue evolving to support the growing peer-to-peer economy.\" Lyft said the group is made up of \"transportation companies, regulators, insurance providers, and other stakeholders,\" as well as the CPUC. The first meeting is scheduled for this month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Andrew Noyes, a spokesman for UberX, which has been luring Lyft drivers away with bonuses, said in an email that the company has offered uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage since December. He said while the company does not have collision coverage, \"we have been addressing this in practice by reimbursing drivers if their own collision insurance denies, with no deductible.\" \u003cstrong>\u003c/strong> \u003cstrong>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Insurance is something of an Achilles Heel for the burgeoning ride-service industry, which has stolen a substantial share of customers and even drivers from the local taxi industry. In November we wrote about a \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2013/11/14/who-pays-when-ride-share-driver-crashes\" target=\"_blank\">welter of issues\u003c/a> surrounding insurance for companies like Lyft, UberX, and Sidecar. Some of what we found:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>The Transportation Network Companies, or TNCS, as the CPUC designates them, say drivers’ personal insurance policies will cover some claims. The insurance industry says the policies won’t provide any coverage.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>The insurance industry says TNC drivers will have to buy commercial insurance to be covered when they’re driving for hire and maybe even when they’re not.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>We also talked to multiple drivers who have \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/01/20/ride-sharing-insurance-lyft-uberx-sidecar/\" target=\"_blank\">not told their insurance companies\u003c/a> about their TNC work because they are fearful their personal policies will be cancelled. At least two cancellations have been documented, including one in January, when a driver on a Lyft Facebook page posted a Geico cancellation notice she received for \"commercial use of your 2012 Toyota Prius.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The posting sparked a long online discussion among Lyft drivers. Wrote one fellow Lyft driver:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“No one, I mean no one told me my insurance would have a problem with it. What’s Lyft’s response to the fact that serving for them may end up with us losing insurance and possibly our livelihood?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyft's announcement today would not seem to solve that issue. On the Lyft Lounge, a posting of the announcement was greeted with a mixture of enthusiasm, skepticism, and questioning. Two comments:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>I still think before we jump onto the Good Ship Lollypop, we should get specific answers to specific questions. What we have now is a great first step, but we need to fully understand what we have here. So while this has calmed the troubled waters for now, it needs to be fully explained....unless of course, someone in the general community can do so.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>This is NOT a solution! It's still an excess insurance policy. In the event of an accident, you must still file a claim with your personal insurance company, and the excess policy will only kick in once your claim has been rejected. In addition to being rejected, your insurer will also drop your coverage. Doesn't sound victorious to me...\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>At one point in the long thread, Lyft CEO John Zimmer stepped in to answer doubters: \"Big step with the new coverages and we'll keep working on more to come.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to the cancellation risk, a fatal New Year's Eve accident in San Francisco involving an UberX driver brought to light the narrow circumstances under which TNCs consider their drivers covered. In that accident, the driver, who had come to the city for the express purpose of servicing UberX customers, according to his lawyer, was between calls. That excluded him from coverage, according to UberX. Lyft has a similar exclusion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In January, the \u003ca href=\"http://www.insurance.ca.gov/0250-insurers/0300-insurers/0200-bulletins/bulletin-notices-commiss-opinion/TransNetwkDrvrs.cfm\" target=\"_blank\">California Dept. of Insurance issued a warning to TNC drivers\u003c/a> about the insurance gap. And no less an authority than Consumer Reports recently published an article called \"\u003ca href=\"http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2014/01/dont-risk-car-insurance-as-part-time-taxi/index.htm?loginMethod=auto\" target=\"_blank\">Don't risk your car insurance by operating your vehicle as a part-time taxi\u003c/a>.\"\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"tagline": "Exploring the Bay Area, one question at a time",
"info": "KQED’s new podcast, Bay Curious, gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Bay-Curious-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Bay Curious",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/baycurious",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 3
},
"link": "/podcasts/baycurious",
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"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious",
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}
},
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"id": "bbc-world-service",
"title": "BBC World Service",
"info": "The day's top stories from BBC News compiled twice daily in the week, once at weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9pm-10pm, TUE-FRI 1am-2am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/BBC-World-Service-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_world_service",
"meta": {
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"source": "BBC World Service"
},
"link": "/radio/program/bbc-world-service",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/global-news-podcast/id135067274?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/BBC-World-Service-p455581/",
"rss": "https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/p02nq0gn.rss"
}
},
"californiareport": {
"id": "californiareport",
"title": "The California Report",
"tagline": "California, day by day",
"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareport",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 8
},
"link": "/californiareport",
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"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/26099305-72af-4542-9dde-ac1807fe36d5/kqed-s-the-california-report",
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"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcram/feed/podcast"
}
},
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"id": "californiareportmagazine",
"title": "The California Report Magazine",
"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
"airtime": "FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
"meta": {
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"order": 10
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
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"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcrmag/feed/podcast"
}
},
"city-arts": {
"id": "city-arts",
"title": "City Arts & Lectures",
"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.cityarts.net/",
"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
"subscribe": {
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/City-Arts-and-Lectures-p692/",
"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
"title": "Close All Tabs",
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"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CAT_2_Tile-scaled.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 1
},
"link": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
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"code-switch-life-kit": {
"id": "code-switch-life-kit",
"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Code-Switch-Life-Kit-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/code-switch-life-kit",
"subscribe": {
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510312/podcast.xml"
}
},
"commonwealth-club": {
"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.commonwealthclub.org/podcasts",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/commonwealth-club-of-california-podcast/id976334034?mt=2",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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}
},
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"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/forum",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
"link": "/forum",
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"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-forum/id73329719",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
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}
},
"freakonomics-radio": {
"id": "freakonomics-radio",
"title": "Freakonomics Radio",
"info": "Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
}
},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Fresh-Air-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
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"link": "/radio/program/fresh-air",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
}
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"here-and-now": {
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"title": "Here & Now",
"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
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},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain",
"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
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"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Science-Podcasts/Hidden-Brain-p787503/",
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},
"how-i-built-this": {
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"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
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"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
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},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"meta": {
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"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
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},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
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}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
"subscribe": {
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Masters-of-Scale-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindshift-podcast/id1078765985",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0MxSpNYZKNprFLCl7eEtyx"
}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
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