Ride-sharing app company Uber wants to work with Little Rock on updating its transportation code, according to Mayor Mark Stodola.
Stodola told the Board of Directors at its meeting Tuesday that he's heard from Uber representatives who said they'll make themselves available at future meetings on the topic and that they plan to propose amendments to Little Rock's transportation regulations, which currently only address traditional taxi and luxury vehicle services and don't include the term "ride-sharing."
Ride-sharing refers to when services such as Uber and its competitor Lyft employ drivers for hire who use their personal vehicles.
With both companies, a person downloads the respective app on a smartphone and requests a ride. Any nearby driver can accept the request, and his photo will be sent to the customer. The customer gets a text when the driver has arrived. Payment is made with credit cards through the app. The company gets 20 percent of the fare, with the rest going to the driver -- who can choose when and how long he works.
At-large City Director Joan Adcock has been critical of the companies' announcements that they are looking for drivers in Little Rock and has spearheaded an effort to keep them out. City Attorney Tom Carpenter has said the services are illegal in the city because the companies don't abide by Little Rock's transportation code, which includes stipulations that companies have an office in the city, that they provide service 24/7 to all areas of the city and that they have a dress code for drivers.
Ward 5 City Director Lance Hines took a stance against what he called the restrictive ordinance during a brief discussion Tuesday on ride-sharing companies, even saying that he has boycotted the city's only taxicab service -- Little Rock Yellow Cab -- since an unpleasant experience two years ago. Hines also acknowledged that he has paid someone to drive him and his family places around the city, a practice the city attorney said amounted to ride-sharing, which violates the transportation code.
"There are barriers to entry in this market. ... I'm all about removing regulation and having healthy competition within our city to attract businesses and folks to our city," Hines said.
Stodola also mentioned some regulations in the city's transportation code and questioned their purpose, such as the limit on the number of taxi permits the city will issue. Ward 4 City Director Brad Cazort said that to his recollection, the limit was inserted into the code at the request of the industry. Cazort said he has public safety questions about ride-sharing entering Little Rock, such as whether the companies' insurance packages cover the passengers.
Ellis Houston, president of Greater Little Rock Transportation Services, which operates Little Rock Yellow Cab, is actively protesting the potential presence of Uber and Lyft in the city. He has said he isn't afraid of the competition, but rather is concerned about the unfair playing field with Uber and Lyft not being subject to the same business permits and fees that his company has to pay.
Adcock, who has said she shares Houston's concerns, has also said there is no accountability in ride-sharing services.
Houston, through his taxicab company, donated $1,000 to Adcock's 2012 general election campaign, according to contribution records posted online.
Greater Little Rock Transportation Services is also listed as giving a $500 donation to At-large City Director Gene Fortson that year. Fortson has yet to publicly state his opinion on ride-sharing companies. He was absent from Tuesday's discussion.
Stodola did not elaborate on what kind of amendments Uber plans to recommend to the city. The company's spokesmen and Houston are expected to be invited to a future board meeting to make presentations. A date has not been decided.
Metro on 08/21/2014