Ordering a ride through the Uber app.
As Uber fights city-imposed background check regulations in other parts of the nation, the ride-share company continues to face an issue of a different variety in Bloomington, where a city ordinance and state law don’t match.
Recent news of suspended Uber services in Texas came after Austin city officials passed an ordinance requiring the transportation network company to conduct more strict background checks on its drivers.
Although Uber’s woes may center on proposed fingerprinting of drivers in other states, Indiana state law already has set the rules for ride-share companies, so there’s no chance for Bloomington to address Uber the same way Austin, Houston, San Antonio and other cities have.
Instead, Bloomington’s relationship with Uber may be strained for another reason.
“They provide the exact same service (as Red Tire Taxi), and basically, there are no clear requirements for them,” said Red Tire Taxi Vice President Amir Genidy. “To be honest, I think it’s a good idea to have Uber here, but they should comply with the regulations we have.”
City ordinance defines taxicabs as “any motor vehicle designed and constructed to accommodate and transport passengers, not more than eight in number, not including the driver, which does not operate over any definite and designated routes within the city, and the designation of which is designated by the passenger or passengers at the time of such transportation.”
To Genidy, the city ordinance’s definition of a taxicab should apply to both his taxicab company and Uber equally.
But Genidy’s operations adhere to city regulations that Uber does not. City officials don’t necessarily see it that way, and in the end, any city regulations would be superseded by state law.
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