I’ve previously written about Democrat-led cities targeting popular ride purchasing services Uber and Lyft, but a couple cities are taking it to the next level. In Pittsburgh and Madison, police are actually going undercover to target and fine drivers, whom taxi companies and unions despise because they drive down prices while offering better service:
In Madison, a police sting operation from the weekend resulted in $1,300 in fines for drivers of both e-hailing companies. Officers in plain clothes used the startups’ apps to summon rides and then cited the drivers for violating the city’s taxi ordinances and for transporting passengers for hire without a license. A police captain in the traffic division said these fines are meant to “send a message that the city was not going to tolerate their operation without licensing.”
It’s a similar situation in Pittsburgh, which, as of Thursday, has issued 23 tickets, with penalties varying from $25 to $300, to drivers for operating without licenses. Uber, which says it’s experienced the fastest growth in Pittsburgh, has been rallying riders in the city with the hashtag #PGHNeedsUber, asking them to contact state officials.
Both companies are helping drivers cover the fines and legal fees, and they’re also both aggressively lobbying the states and cities to have their ordinances changed. It’s a testament to how popular the services are, and how much better their product is, when they know they can rely on customers reaching out to local government to get things changed.
Ultimately, this is about free enterprise and regulation. Right now, the regulations in cities like Madison and Pittsburgh have no real purpose, other than limiting competition. As Uber and Lyft fight these regulations, they’re also fighting for consumer choice.
