NewsWatch
  Keeping a critical eye on Uber, 
Lyft, Sidecar, et al

Welcome to the latest edition of AFT NewsWatch, a weekly service of Advocates for Fairness in Transportation, 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. Visit the Archive to read previous editions.
2015 was a bumpy ride for Uber
From London and Paris to New Delhi and Sao Paulo, traditional taxi drivers united worldwide against Uber in 2015, a year that saw riots, legal battles and even a kidnapping in protest against the startup. Since first winning customers in San Francisco five years ago, Uber has enjoyed spectacular global growth by allowing customers to hail drivers using a smartphone app and bypass traditional taxi services.
Insurer asks policy holders: Are you driving for Uber?
Mayor John Tory is promising that sometime next year, the city will introduce regulations that level the playing field for warring Toronto taxi and UberX drivers. While Tory says the new rules will set out insurance requirements that are "equitable" and "consistent," at least one Canadian insurance company isn't waiting. In a renewal questionnaire, Wawanesa Insurance is asking policy-holders if they are using their personal vehicles to drive for Uber or Lyft. 
FHP seeks cause of fatal crash between Uber, deputy
Corey Allicock thought he was staying safe when he called an Uber car early Saturday morning after his company's holiday party. The 28-year-old with a wide smile and numerous facial piercings wanted to get home to the condo he had just chosen with his girlfriend, but he never made it. Allicock was killed when his ride and a Seminole County Sheriff's Office cruiser responding to a domestic call collided at a busy intersection near Longwood. The investigation into the crash continued Monday as the Florida Highway Patrol worked to determine who ran the red light.
Accessibility as challenge in age of Uber
Uber is not covered by the city's accessibility requirements for taxicabs. "Uber says they're not a provider of transportation, they're an app," said Jim Weisman, the president of the United Spinal Association. That view effectively puts Uber beyond labor laws and many transportation regulations. Uber drivers are independent contractors, pay a percentage of their fares to the company and are free to work as much or as little as they want.
Why it matters that a big, class-action lawsuit against Uber will be tried in front of a jury
Over the last week, Shannon Liss-Riordan, the lawyer representing drivers in the big California class-action lawsuit against Uber, filed a flurry of motions requesting that the trial be decided by a judge and not face a jury. Her reasoning: The issue of whether drivers are independent contractors or employees in this suit is a legal matter, and not a factual one. The facts of the case themselves-how many hours drivers work, how their schedules are set, who pays expenses, and so on-aren't in dispute, Liss-Riordan argues.
California approves Flywheel, the app that makes taxis work like Uber
Flywheel, an app for booking regular taxis, got the green light from California regulators Tuesday to offer its "TaxiOS" technology to cab owners to replace the current, outdated jumble of meters, dispatch, advertising, navigation systems, and credit card readers. The new technology, which runs on a single, cloud-enabled smartphone, is being pitched as a way to help the traditional taxi industry regain market share lost to ride-hailing companies.
Uber and Lyft need more government regulation, report says
As the popularity of app-driven transportation services like Uber and Lyft grow - Uber provides more than 1 million rides daily worldwide, and Lyft's 100,000 drivers operate in more than 60 U.S. cities - consequences of sustainability, safety, insurance and labor mount. And as regulations governing this industry largely pertain to shrinking limousine and cab businesses, a new report calls for more comprehensive regulations and policies around these services.
It's time to regulate Uber if a 'gig' economy is here to stay
Since Uber barged into the Canadian market three years ago, the talk has been all about forcing the United States-based ride-hailing service to play by taxi industry rules. There have been court challenges, bans in several cities and angry clashes with taxi drivers. But it's futile to turn back the clock. The taxi industry, like many others, will never be the same. The online "gig" economy is rapidly upending the world of work, forcing policy-makers to rethink labor and tax laws.
Legalizing Uber in Philadelphia is off Pa. lawmakers' agenda
The move to make UberX and other ride-sharing services legal in Philadelphia has hit a setback as members of the Pennsylvania House amended a gambling bill to remove details on regulating these and other transportation companies. The regulations would have given the Public Utility Commission the authority to regulate Uber, Lyft and other similar entities in Philadelphia, deeming the electronic car-hailing service legal in the city and trumping the Philadelphia Parking Authority's oversight of the taxi industry.
Overview of new California law for 2016
AB 1422 will require Transportation Network Companies (TNC) to participate in the DMV's Employer Pull Notice. TNC's include companies where a private vehicle is used to provide paid rides to the public like Lyft and Uber. The program will provide each TNC with a report with the driver's current public record which will include immediate notification of moving violations, accidents, drivers license suspension, and other actions taken against driving privileges.
Uber banned from China's most popular social platform over 'violations'
Uber is learning a tough lesson about what happens when you go head-to-head with China's tech giants on their own turf. Tencent, the tech company that oversees the China's most popular chat app WeChat, has blocked all Uber accounts on its social platform, affecting the service across more than a dozen cities. Tencent-backed Didi Dache is the country's biggest ride-hailing service and Uber's largest competitor in the Chinese market. 
Why background checks aren't enough for this former Lyft driver
Molly is a 26-year-old who lives in Austin. She was laid off from her job in April of this year and given a severance package, but wanted something to do while she looked for a new job. So, she signed up to drive for both transportation network companies in Austin: Uber and Lyft. Neither Lyft nor Uber requires you to meet with an employee before starting, but Lyft does have you meet with an experienced driver.
Thinking of using Uber on New Year's Eve? Get ready for MASSIVE fares as drivers charge up to three times the normal rate
An Uber ride home from your New Year's Eve parties will come with a hefty price tag as fares are expected to rise by more than three times the standard price. The popular ride-sharing program was criticized last New Year's when passengers were shocked at the high priced fares and this year will be no different, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. David Rohrsheim, Uber's general manager for Australia, is warning riders that fares are expected to soar by 2.5 to 3.5 times more than normal.
7 alternatives to Uber and Lyft that don't have surge pricing
Surge pricing might seem like a necessary evil of ridesharing. Convenience, after all, comes at a price. But there are a crop of Uber and Lyft competitors popping up that keep prices steady during busy spells instead of gouging their customers. We can only hope this crop will continue to grow, but for now, you'll never be forced to pay more than the base fare for the following seven ridesharing apps - even in bad weather, weekends or the rush to leave an Ariane Grande concert.
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