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AFT is an ad hoc group of regulated transportation service companies dedicated to informing and educating the public on threats to public safety from new so-called ride-sharing or ride-booking services such as Uber, Lyft and Sidecar.

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UberX, Sidecar, Lyft drivers could face issues with personal insurance coverage

It looks like the question of insurance coverage may finally be catching up with people who drive for app-based services such at uberX, Lyft and Sidecar. An internal sales training document from insurance giant Geico obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle outlines how the company is dealing with drivers when it becomes aware they are using their vehicles to give paid rides as part of the popular ride-sharing services. 

Read more from the Washington Post

California lawmakers to take aim at Uber -- again

The Uber battle will return to the Capitol next year, with California lawmakers already at work considering new rules on the so-called transportation network companies. The collision between pioneering Internet firms and lawmakers marked what was arguably this year's most contentious industry-government feud. The result was one watered-down ridesharing insurance law that both sides claimed as victory and a batch of other proposals that died in the final days of session.

Read more from the Sacramento Business Journal

Uber rolls into Portland, Ore., despite city regulations

Despite its recent pledge to be a "more humble company," Uber continues to be defiant of government regulations: this time in Portland, Ore. The ride-sharing service began operating in Portland on Friday, regardless of the fact that city officials have deemed the service illegal. The company is rolling out its low-cost UberX service, which lets passengers use a smartphone to get rides from drivers who use their own cars. The Oregonian first reported on Uber's launch in Portland.

Read more from CNET

Uber cab driver in India arrested after suspected rape

Indian police on Sunday arrested an Uber cab driver suspected of raping a female passenger and said they would take legal action against the U.S. online taxi service for failing to run background checks on him. The suspect was held in his home town in Uttar Pradesh where his car was earlier found abandoned. He will be brought before a New Delhi court on Monday, said Madhur Verma, deputy commissioner with the Delhi police.

Read more from Reuters

Uber snags $41 billion valuation

Ride-sharing service Uber Technologies Inc. said Thursday a new round of funding valued it at $41 billion, a bet by some of the world's top investors the firm can sustain a breakneck global expansion pace despite fierce challenges from regulators and taxi companies. The San Francisco-based company collected $1.2 billion that enables it to expand its workforce, lure new drivers, test a delivery service and subsidize prices in some of the 250 cities around the world where it operates. 

Read more from The Wall Street Journal

L.A. Uber drivers have to put in the miles to make a living

Yet another analysis of Uber's driver pay shows that it would take a lot of trips to make anywhere near the kind of annual income the company says that its so-called partners can earn. You've seen the Facebook ads that claim Uber drivers can make $60,000 a year and more. The personal finance site NerdWallet recently analyzed data from SherpaShare users and concluded you'd have to do a lot of driving to reach that kind of income. 

Read more from LA Weekly

Uber driver is 1st to be found guilty in SC

A man believed to be the first driver arrested for working with Internet ride-sharing company Uber has been fined $437. A Charleston County magistrate found Taft Navarro guilty Thursday after he was ticketed in October for dropping a passenger off at the Charleston International Airport. South Carolina law requires companies and drivers to have a certificate showing they've been inspected, had a criminal background check and are insured. 

Read more from the Charlotte Observer

Uber, Mears muster troops in taxi war as Orlando mulls new rules

The showdown between the mainstream taxi industry and the tech giant Uber comes to a head Monday when the Orlando City Council takes up proposed rules to allow so-called "ridesharing" companies to operate. Uber honchos, who have been operating without regulation in Orlando, hate the new rules and have asked all their Orlando customers to call and email Mayor Buddy Dyer and city commissioners to demand they reject the proposal because it would force them to raise their rates.

Read more from the Orlando Sentinel