Lyft, Uber Regulations Move On To A Final Vote In Metro Council

Supporters of the ridesharing company Lyft showed their support for new regulations on Tuesday night by wearing t-shirts to match the company’s trademark pink mustaches on the bumpers of its drivers. Credit: Bobby Allyn/WPLN

Dozens of supporters of the ridesharing service Lyft wore bright pink shirts and filled the Metro Council chambers in support of regulations that would effectively legalize ridesharing in Nashville. Drivers and supporters of the upstart service consider regulations welcome news because in other cities — like Portland, Oregon — the companies are banned.

The rules call for an annual permit, passing a background check and obtaining the same insurance as any other taxi service. Furthermore, the companies will be subject to random inspections.

But before the regulations come for a final vote in two weeks, some council member say taxi cab companies deserve a perk, too.

Councilman Scott Davis, who represents East Nashville, says because of permit caps, taxi cab companies only can have so many vehicles on the road at once.

“We’ve always kept a headlock on the taxicab companies,” Davis said. “And by doing that, if a taxi cab company who may have 30 cabs or 70 cabs and maybe is doing well, but they can’t get any more permits.”

Davis says the final Lyft and Uber bill should get rid of those taxi cab limits.

Unfortunately for the taxi companies, Metro transportation officials say changing the taxi cab limits will have to be dealt with separately from the Uber and Lyft regulations.