Tag Archives: taxis

What Council members think about the Uber threat

Posted on May 7, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I was scrolling through Facebook and came upon this post from CM Michael Kubosh: Mayor Turner wants UBER to stay, but they must follow the city’s ordinance that requires a CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK and FINGERPRINTS. Council Member Michael Kubosh said … Continue reading →

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Austin Uber referendum update

Posted on May 4, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

There’s still a crapload of money being spent by Uber and Lyft to win this thing. In the last month, Ridesharing Works for Austin – the PAC established by transportation network companies Uber and Lyft – raised $4.9 million and … Continue reading →

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More on the Uber ultimatum

Posted on April 29, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Initial reaction is not terribly receptive. Ride-hailing giant Uber threatened Wednesday to stop operating in Houston unless city leaders amend local regulations the company said are making it tough for them to recruit drivers. The ultimatum, the latest skirmish in … Continue reading →

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An outside view on Uber in Houston

Posted on April 22, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The Statesman looks at how Austin’s fight with Uber and Lyft over fingerprint requirements compares with other cities in Texas, including Houston. Officials in Houston said they decided early on that their city, despite having almost 2,500 licensed taxis, could … Continue reading →

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Get Me goes to Galveston

Posted on April 19, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Swooping in to fill the gap left by Uber’s departure. Galveston is close to getting app-based transportation back. Get Me, a Dallas-based company that started serving Houston in October, has submitted an application with Galveston to provide ride services on … Continue reading →

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UberACCESS debuts in Houston

Posted on April 17, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Good to see. A partnership that has helped disabled people connect with a popular ride service launched in Houston at midnight. Uber officials confirmed UberACCESS, which offers wheelchair-accessible rides for the same price as UberX, began service Wednesday. Like all … Continue reading →

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Lots of money being spent on the Austin Uber/Lyft ordinance referendum

Posted on April 13, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. David Butts, meet Goliath. Campaign finance reports filed Thursday for Austin’s ride-hailing services election show a beyond-massive lead in money for Ridesharing Works for Austin, the Uber- and Lyft-backed political action committee supporting a proposed ordinance that would become … Continue reading →

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Lubbock to consider rideshare ordinance

Posted on March 30, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

You know what that means. Uber drivers may soon be required to have background checks and operational permits in the city of Lubbock, a move that in the past has prompted the company to pull out of some Texas cities. … Continue reading →

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Two more places that Uber won’t operate

Posted on February 4, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Goodbye, Galveston. Just days after the City Council passed an ordinance designed to regulate transportation networks, Uber has shut down its service in Galveston. Monday evening, people in Galveston who tried to use the phone app to order a ride … Continue reading →

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Another Uber lawsuit update

Posted on January 11, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Looks like we are headed towards a jury trial soon. U.S. District Judge Vanessa Gilmore has denied Uber’s request for summary judgment and rejected parts of the company’s motion to dismiss. “This court has found that the question of the … Continue reading →

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Austin versus San Antonio on ridesharing

Posted on January 4, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The Current reviews the state of play. In the spring of 2014, Lyft led the way in Austin, but the company launched without city approval and was eventually banned, along with Uber, which launched in the capital a short time … Continue reading →

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Austin passes new vehicles for hire regulations

Posted on December 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’ll be very interesting to see how this plays out. Defying implied threats that such a vote would chase Uber and Lyft out of town, the Austin City Council late Thursday put into city statutes mandatory fingerprint-based background checks for … Continue reading →

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Update on the cab companies’ lawsuit against Uber and Lyft

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Yesterday I noted the latest lawsuit against Uber, filed in San Antonio by a former Uber driver who alleged that their pay amounted to a sub-minimum wage total. Over the weekend we got an update on the lawsuit filed here … Continue reading →

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A new Uber competitor enters the scene

Posted on October 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s Get Me. Less than two years after Uber disrupted Houston’s taxi market – with most of that time spent largely competition-free – the company now finds itself the established player facing upstart competition. Get Me, a Dallas-based company that … Continue reading →

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Uber and Lyft versus fingerprints

Posted on October 13, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

They prefer to do their own background checks, which of course do not require fingerprint checks. Houston, San Antonio and Austin currently take different approaches to a key regulatory issue: whether vehicle-for-hire app drivers must undergo fingerprint background checks. The … Continue reading →

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Uber update, part 4

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the last installment of the Chron/Al Jazeera analysis of how Uber is operating in Houston. Most of the story is about what parts of town have better service from Uber – short answer, inside the Loop – and how … Continue reading →

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Uber update, parts 2 and 3

Posted on September 29, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Driving for Uber is a tough way to make a living. One hundred job applications and still nothing. Jennifer Cantrell, 34, partway through a master’s degree in social work, had depleted her savings and needed a new plan. Through Facebook, … Continue reading →

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Uber update, part 1

Posted on September 28, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron, in conjunction with Al Jazeera Americas, gives the first of what should be a four-part look at how Uber is doing in Houson. Less than a year after Houston began regulating so-called transportation network companies, questions persist about … Continue reading →

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Uber wants to add more drivers here

Posted on September 10, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

An Uber surge is coming. Eighteen months after launching in Houston, Uber, the popular ride-sharing service known for its conflicts with regulators, plans to add 5,000 drivers in the area over the next year. Uber leaders, staff of the nonprofit … Continue reading →

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Uber’s class action lawsuit woes

Posted on September 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. Uber’s business model is on the rocks late Tuesday after a federal judge granted class-action status to a lawsuit targeting the company’s treatment of drivers as independent contractors. The case is one of several high-profile suits brought by … Continue reading →

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More on Uber and drunk driving

Posted on September 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We have a study. In this work, we investigate how the entry of the driving service Uber influences the rate of alcohol related motor vehicle homicides. While significant debate has surrounded the entry of driving services like Uber and Lyft, … Continue reading →

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Tweaking the Houston rideshare ordinance

Posted on August 27, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From KUHF: A task force looking into improvements to the city of Houston’s ordinance regulating vehicles for hire, including Uber and other ride-share companies, made recommendations to a city council committee Tuesday. A key proposal is to adjust the requirement … Continue reading →

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SA Council approves new rules to allow Lyft to return

Posted on August 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Close vote, but it counts. The ride-hailing firm Lyft will soon re-start operations in San Antonio in the wake of a controversial City Council decision Thursday that will allow the company to offer rides here during a nine-month pilot program. … Continue reading →

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Lyft to come back to San Antonio

Posted on August 9, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

San Antonio is no longer without any rideshare companies. The ride-hailing company Lyft is poised to return in the “near future” to San Antonio — after the City Council reviews a proposed pilot program next week. Councilman Roberto Treviño, who … Continue reading →

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Deja vu all over again in San Antonio

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Are you ready for some more municipal wrangling over Uber and Lyft? Of course you are. A post-election push to craft city policies to allow ride-hailing firms Uber and Lyft to operate in San Antonio has also prompted the taxi … Continue reading →

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San Antonio wants a do-over on Uber and Lyft

Posted on July 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe the third time will be the charm. Mayor Ivy Taylor said Friday that there’s a demand for transportation-network companies in San Antonio and signaled that she wants to work a new deal that would allow Uber and Lyft to … Continue reading →

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Dallas writes a letter to the Lege about Lyft and Uber

Posted on May 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

They would like for the Lege to not overrule them on regulating these transportation network companies. Dallas city leaders, writing to House Speaker Joe Straus, have underlined their opposition to a bill that would create statewide rules for “transportation network … Continue reading →

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Uber sues Houston

Posted on May 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s all about the secrecy. Uber is once again suing to keep its secrets. The ride-hailing service filed suit in Houston last week to block the release of public records that would reveal how many drivers it has licensed in … Continue reading →

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Statewide Uber/Lyft bill passes out of committee

Posted on April 23, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s gotten better, but it’s still not good enough. A bill to establish statewide rules for “transportation network companies” like Uber and Lyft has been tweaked to address some concerns that its background check requirements weren’t stringent enough. That change … Continue reading →

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The alternate approach to statewide regulations for Uber and Lyft

Posted on April 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

That’s one way to do it. Another round of sparring between Texas cities and car service companies like Lyft and Uber played out on Tuesday before a panel of Texas lawmakers. The proposal that was debated — which would let … Continue reading →

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Mayor Parker pressures Uber

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Good. After two weeks of rising tensions between the city and the ride-sharing service Uber, Mayor Annise Parker on Wednesday warned the company it risks losing the right to operate in Houston unless it submits a plan to bring its … Continue reading →

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Uber and background checks

Posted on April 10, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Uber is back in the news again, and as has often been the case it’s not in a good way. Houston officials discovered crimes ranging from aggravated robbery to driving on a suspended license when they checked the backgrounds of … Continue reading →

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Uber officially departs San Antonio

Posted on April 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

As expected. Uber’s ride in the Alamo City ended Wednesday as the ride-share company has stopped operating within San Antonio city limits. The decision to end all operations in San Antonio stems from the city council’s vote to approve a … Continue reading →

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Uber and Lyft for the San Antonio suburbs

Posted on March 27, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

If the rules in the big city aren’t amenable, maybe the rules in the smaller nearby cities will be. San Antonio’s new rules for rideshare companies go into effect April 1 and controversy over the regulation of transportation network companies … Continue reading →

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