Springfield City Councilman Ken McClure last night successfully moved to table a bill that could have paved the way for such ride-sharing services as Uber Technologies Inc. to operate in the Queen City.
With a vote of 8-0 – Councilman Justin Burnett
resigned his Zone 2 post last week – the city’s governing body unanimously sent the proposed, updated transportation-regulation ordinance back to the Finance and Administration Committee for further review.
“We certainly – when and if this moves forward – want to do it right, being fair to all parties and the city, as well,” McClure said at the meeting. “It is my belief that we would benefit from further review on that.”
Last night was the second time this year council has tabled an ordinance designed to allow transportation network companies – aka ride-sharing services – to enter the local market.
In March, council tabled an ordinance after Uber Missouri General Manager Sagar Shah spoke against the initiative at its public hearing saying the regulations were too focused on the drivers themselves and not the companies. Shah indicated its business model relied heavily on part-time drivers, and the city's approach would keep Uber out of the market.
The bill tabled last night included several differences from the original measure shelved in the spring:
• a newly proposed minimum age requirement for ride-sharing drivers of 18 instead of 21;
• third-party vendors, instead of the city, could conduct background checks on drivers; and
• insurance requirements would start at $100,000 for the injury or death of one person, $250,000 for two or more injuries and $25,000 for property coverage – a jump from $25,000 for the injury of one person, $50,000 for two or more injured and $10,000 on property.
Reached by phone this morning, McClure said Uber representatives have been in touch with the city and questions remained about drivers needing to get city permits under the proposal, so council members felt the prudent move was to table the bill for further discussion.
“I'm a big fan of Uber,” McClure said, adding he's used the service before in other markets. “It's certainly the wave of the future.
“But we need to make sure the city is protected.”
San Francisco-based Uber had pushed for a statewide bill this spring with expansion into several markets in Missouri, including Springfield, on its radar. A TNC-focused bill passed through the Missouri House of Representatives, but failed to gain traction in the Senate before the end of the legislative session.
