City council approves rules for ride share programs to operate legally

The ride-sharing, app-based program Uber is now legally able to operate in Columbia…as long as they follow the rules set by city council Monday night.

After months of research and deliberation and close to an hour and a half of discussion at the city council meeting, council members unanimously passed new ordinances for ride-sharing programs like Uber and Lyft.

The vote comes after being tabled twice already…and while Uber continued to operate, even though city staff told them not to.

Several people stood up and spoke in support of Uber and similar ride services, saying the city’s restrictions were not progressive or helpful to the business, and that Uber always provides a cheap and safe ride.

A spokeswoman for Uber said the ride company already does background checks and car inspections and the city restrictions are too harsh and complicted.

But councilwoman Laura Nauser shot back.

“You’ve been operating when you’ve been asked to cease operating. Why would I feel confident you could provide me background checks and other information when you couldn’t fulfill the obligation to not be operating when we were working through these issues?” Nauser argued. “Because quite frankly, if you had been, this would’ve been passed last year.”

This new ordinance requires a city background check for all drivers as well as car inspection by a Columbia police officer. They’ll also need a chauffeur license and have to pay a permit fee.

Council passed a second ordinance regarding traditional taxi companies that changed the requirements on having a landline phone as well the taxi stand hours to update the fairness between the two kinds of taxi companies.

After passing the ordinances, city staff said they hope Uber complies or there will be consequences like citations.