Uber, Lyft, and Taxis: The Case for Leveling the Regulatory Playing Field

Abstract

The adoption of new technologies is boosting so-called transportation network companies (TNCs) like Uber and Lyft. These services put private vehicles into part-time commercial service, enabling new employment opportunities, increasing travel options, and possibly decreasing auto use. Partly as a result of their novelty and partly in response to the difficulty of regulating so-called “peer-to-peer” services, TNCs have been either lightly regulated or not regulated at all. This stands in direct opposition to often heavily regulated competing taxi services, who face strict regulations that govern not only vehicle type and driver background, but also the number of vehicles that can operate, where drivers may pick up passengers, and prices. The committee reported on the current status of regulations governing taxi companies and TNCs, and proposed ways that such regulations can be made more comparable, without stifling the mobility advantages that TNCs can bring.