The Jefferson City Council, hoping to get ahead of services like Uber, has approved a bill defining ride-sharing services as vehicles for hire.
At the council meeting Monday, the ordinance was approved 9-0, as 5th Ward Councilman Ron Medin was not present at Monday's meeting.
City Attorney Drew Hilpert said the bill categorizes ride-sharing services, such as smartphone applications like Uber and Lyft, as vehicles for hire in the city code, which would require ride-sharing companies to be regulated as a taxi service. That requires a permit, a certificate of public liability and property damage insurance, and records of dispatches.
According to the proposed bill summary, "numerous problems have arisen in regards to ride-sharing. The drivers are not employees of the company and are independent contractors and, as such, the companies take no responsibility for the
drivers. Failure to have adequate insurance, driver's licenses and training are often cited complaints. Several more serious problems such as kidnapping have occurred."
The ride-sharing company Uber has began offering service in Columbia, and, when the ordinance was first introduced, officials said Uber could try to move into Jefferson City.
The bill originally stemmed from a request from Checker Cab of Jefferson City. Mike Olive, general manager of Checker Cab, previously said he just wanted to make sure ride-sharing companies have to follow the same regulations as taxi companies, if they come to Jefferson City.
Hilpert said the bill is not prohibitive to companies like Uber and should not stop them from offering service in Jefferson City, but simply ensure an even and fair playing field.