Uber and Lyft legally return to Portland

The Portland City Council voted Tuesday that ride-sharing companies will be legally allowed in the city. However, they will be available under certain conditions.

After a meeting that lasted more than four hours, the council decided that ride-sharing companies–Uber and Lyft–will operate under a four-month pilot program in Portland. This will include specific regulations and require the companies to give access to disabled drivers. The vote was 3-2.

Uber has been involved in disputes with U.S. cities for months over operating under taxicab regulations, and in December, Uber fought with Portland. The company agreed to stop their drivers from working in the city until city regulations could be considered.

Portland Mayor Charlie Hales said that the change was “a change that none of us wanted.” He added that the government is trying to “keep up to it.”

Though Uber has a reputation for saying no to government regulations, the company agreed to several changes and conditions in Portland. The regulations say that Lyft and Uber drivers must obtain a business license, have their cars inspected, undergo background checks, and have liability insurance. They are also not allowed to park in taxi lines or accept street-hailed fares.

Uber also agreed to guarantee service to people with disabilities, though they have not done so elsewhere. Drivers are also not allowed to reject rides because they do not think the length of their journey will be lucrative. Portland’s Private For-Hire Innovation Task Force will be keeping an eye on the program and giving updates.

Uber General Manager Brooke Steger said that Uber is a “huge supporter of safety,” as reported by Reuters. She added that the company is “deeply committed” to the new regulations.

The $40 billion company is a mobile taxi-hailing service available in 270 cities. And they have faced serious criticism over safety issues and allegedly operating illegally in certain cities.

For that reason, several commissioners voted no to the pilot program. Nevertheless, the city intends to collect data on ride requests and wait times, and they will decide in a few months whether to make regulation revisions or kick Uber and Lyft out completely.

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