R Street alarmed by Austin City Council’s hostility toward TNCs
AUSTIN, Texas (Dec. 18, 2015) – The R Street Institute was dismayed by the Austin City Council’s adoption of an ordinance last night that would require all transportation network companies (TNCs) to add fingerprinting to their current extensive background checks on drivers.
Passed by a vote of 9-2, the ordinance requires TNCs to be fully compliant by the beginning of 2017, but leaves to future decision the penalties for noncompliance. The two largest TNCs in the city, Uber and Lyft, have already hinted that they might leave the city, despite the fact that the city credits TNCs for greatly reducing the number of drunk driving arrests.
“Any ordinance that takes away thousands of options for a safe ride home is not a public safety measure,” said Josiah Neeley, R Street’s Texas state director. “Even the sheriff and police chief opposed the bill knowing that if the TNCs leave town, it’s the people of Austin who lose.”
R Street released its annual Ridescore study yesterday, which grades 50 of the largest US cities on their friendliness toward TNCs, taxicabs and limousine services. Austin received an “A” grade for TNC friendliness in 2015, due to its current fair city-level regulations for ridesharing.
“At a time when so many cities across the country are working to improve their TNC regulatory framework, it’s disheartening to see a city that was so respected for its tech friendly environment adopt new restrictions that could drive TNCs out of the market altogether,” said Neeley.
