Southampton postpones vote on regulating Uber drivers

Town of Southampton officials on Tuesday postponed a vote on whether Uber drivers should follow the same rules as other cab drivers. Those rules would require drivers to have a permit and register

News 12 Staff

Mar 23, 2016, 5:42 AM

Updated 3,098 days ago

Share:

Town of Southampton officials on Tuesday postponed a vote on whether Uber drivers should follow the same rules as other cab drivers.
Those rules would require drivers to have a permit and register with the town, as well as paying annual fees that could be in the thousands.
Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman said that taxi and ride-share companies such as Lyft and Uber do the same job, but only cab companies are regulated. He added that it's important for the town to have oversight over the companies' drivers.
"We do background checks," Schneiderman said. "We do a whole lot of things to make sure the public is safe, is protected."
Uber said the oversight and fees shouldn't apply to its drivers because it operates differently.
"These proposed changes are an attempt to protect local taxi interests at the expense of hard-working Uber driver-partners, who are trying to earn a living," Uber said in a statement to News 12.
At a public hearing at Southampton Town Hall on Tuesday, the town board decided to table the vote on the issue. Another public hearing will be held April 12.