A Montgomery County councilman is warning County Executive Ike Leggett not to drive Uber, the popular ride-sharing company that has drawn the ire of cabbies, out of the county.
“In my view, Uber represents the future,” District 1 Councilman Roger Berliner wrote in a letter to Leggett. “It is innovative. It is successful. It satisfies consumers by providing a high-quality service at generally less cost and attracts drivers who are able to make more money.”
Berliner, chairman of the council’s Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment Committee, said the county needs to reform its “old school” regulations. He plans to call a committee meeting this fall to discuss changes that would open up the transportation market to alternatives such as Uber while still allowing traditional cab companies to remain competitive.
“I believe that together, we can create a model for a taxicab market that is more dynamic and customer-oriented,” he wrote.
His letter to Leggett came in response to an Aug. 5 letter in which county Transportation Department Director Arthur Holmes warned Uber’s CEO that the San Francisco company appeared to be operating illegally in the county.
Since Uber doesn’t have a county taxi license or state limousine permit and its drivers don’t have cab-driver ID cards or “for-hire” driver’s licenses, the company “is therefore not allowed to provide taxicab services in the county,” Holmes wrote to Uber CEO Travis Kalanick.
Uber is a ride-sharing program that relies on technology such as cellphone applications to connect passengers with private car owners willing to drive for extra cash. Company officials insist it is not a taxi service. But cab drivers have complained that Uber acts like a taxi service, even though it is not subject to the same rules that cab companies and drivers face.
Last month, the Maryland Public Service Commission ruled Uber must begin following the rules for passenger-for-hire services within 60 days or be barred from operating in the state. Virginia has reached a temporary agreement allowing Uber to operate there. The D.C. Council is weighing legislation that would allow companies such as Uber to operate.