Category Archives: sharing economy

2 Reasons a Judge Questions Whether Taxis are Harmed in Ride Share Regulations.

The lawsuit: Federal lawsuit over whether California regulations on ride share unfairly disadvantage taxis

The issues raised by a Judge questioning whether ride share regulations harm taxi cabs:

  • “In economic regulation groups are favored all the time. It’s always about favoring one over the other. Animus is the purpose of harming a group, not favoring a group.”
  • favoritism toward Uber and Lyft does not equal the sort of hostility toward taxi drivers

Courthouse News Service…

Ride Share + Health Care. 3 Bytes Intel on this Nascent Partnership.

Business Partnership trend: Uber and MedStar are partnering to bring patients to appointments

How does this partnership stack up against using taxis to get to appointments?

  • Taxis are more expensive
  • Taxis are operationally more difficult to include in health care transportation
  • taxi drivers are said not to go the extra mile for patients

How does the partnership address low income patients without a smart phone? Healthcare providers request & manage rides on behalf of their patients

…

Wolverines Move Ride Share Legislation to Governor. The Crucial Elements.

Michigan legislators pushed for equal footing for ride share and taxis, ending up with this:

  • Both taxis and ride share would be regualted by the state
    • Annual registration
    • per vehicle fee
  • Drivers register through the companies, and not the state
  • Companies would have to:
    • conduct background checks
    • inspect vehicles

The details everyone wants to know- the background checks. Here’s the key requirements:

  • Annual background checks
  • 3rd party background checks permissible
  • must use a…

Trendspotting. Ride Share for Seniors & Visually Impaired.

The business model:

  • Non-profit 
  • Ride share for people who are 60 and over & any adult with a visual impairment
  • Riders create a membership and fund a personal transportation account
  • Drivers earn credits that can be used later for rides

Lexington Herald Leader |  It’s like Uber for seniors — complete with ‘arm-through-arm’ walk to the door

 

Ride Share and Accessible Options. Schwertner Bill fits the bill.

The ride share issue: accessibility for the disability community

Do local ordinances require accessibility standards? In Austin, TX, yes.

Is it working? Not according to the former chair of Austin’s Capmetro accessibility board

Does Sen. Schwertner’s SB 176 require acessibility? Yes, and a surcharge is levied on companies that do not provide accessible service.

KXAN | Smaller TNCs struggle to fill gap in accessibility after Uber, Lyft leave

Informed Intel Gave you the Ride Sharing Trend First. This Week the Bill Gets Filed.

Senate Bill 176 by Schwertner follows the trend by Palm Springs, California to require drug testing for drivers.

SB 176

Dallas Morning News | Texas lawmakers want to settle the fight over regulating Uber, Lyft

November 3, 2016 informed intel:

Palm Springs will be voting to allow ride share at its airport, if and only if, the drivers…

LOCAL TREND. Ride Share for Seniors. The Details you Need to Know Now to Adopt in Your City.

Where is this happening? Atlanta metro area has adopted  Seniors Go, a ride share program for persons over 55

How does the ride share program for seniors work?

  • Rides are booked Uber through Common Courtesy
  • Discounted fare of $2 for the first 15 miles and 85 cents per mile after that
  • No restrictions on locations
  • Limited to two round-trip rides a week.
  • Seniors must be members of the Senior Citizen Council of Cobb County
    • ​ The Senior Council has membership fees are $12 for a…

Ride Share Active in West Coast Campaign. What you need to know:

Uber has made its first candidate endorsement.

The endorsee: Assemblyman Derek Armstrong (R)

Why endorse? Democrats ran 3 anti ride share ads against Armstrong claiming that he opposed criinal background checks for drivers putting women and children in danger

Were the ads that sparked the Uber endorsement accurate? No. The legislation required criminal background checks but did not require FBI background checks, which taxi cab companies in NV support.

las Vegas Sun | Uber makes first…