Latest Sharing Economy Headlines
All the headlines from our Sharing Economy Topic Page, ordered by recency.
City Council in Oregon Says Uber Must Follow Traditional Taxi Rules
Feb 11 2015 // While Uber may be a new kind of ride service, it should comply with the same rules as traditional taxi companies – and that means being licensed by the city, the Eugene City Council has decided . The council voted 8-0 on...
N.J. Cab Drivers Want Ridesharing Firms to Face Taxi-Like Rules
Feb 10 2015 // Dozens of cab drivers lined the street outside the New Jersey Statehouse in Trenton and crammed a legislative hearing to protest ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft. Drivers and their allies called on lawmakers to...
Uber, Taxi Battle Could Be Big Issue For Nevada Legislature
Feb 6 2015 // Lawmakers say a fight between Nevada’s taxicab industry and Uber, the ride hailing company that operated in the state this fall before a court decision prompted it to shut down, could be the biggest transportation...
Lawmaker Proposes Bill Regulating Uber in Georgia
Feb 6 2015 // The chairman of the Georgia House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee has sponsored a bill to regulate the popular ridesharing service Uber. Republican Rep. Alan Powell of Hartwell said Wednesday that House Bill...
Geico Goes End-to-End with Virginia Ridesharing Product
Feb 5 2015 // In a continuation of the encouraging trend of personal insurers embracing innovation as a way to deal with the increased popularity of “sharing economy” services, auto insurance giant Geico has announced it...
Heading a National Ridesharing Outline a Political Gain for Jones?
Feb 4 2015 // A committee of regulators led by California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones is working on standards on ridesharing that departments of insurance in states across the U.S. can look to as an example. Whether the National...
With Fines Nearly $100K Oregon City Delays Uber Appeal Hearing
Feb 3 2015 // Eugene, Ore. has granted Uber’s request for a delay in its appeal hearing. The Register-Guard reported the hearing had been set for Monday and a new date hasn’t been scheduled. Meanwhile, Uber and city...
Penn. Public Utility Commission Gives Uber 2-Year License, Except in Philly
Feb 2 2015 // The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission has given ride-sharing service Uber a two-year experimental license to operate anywhere in the state except Philadelphia, where it has been operating despite a local ban. The...
Bloomberg: Google Is Developing Competitor to Uber
Feb 2 2015 // Uber faces an ever-growing cast of adversaries that includes dubious regulators, litigious drivers, hostile members of the press, and some well-funded rivals. But the most significant threat to the app-based transportation...
Uber Probed by U.S. Judge in San Francisco on Driver Employment Status
Feb 2 2015 // A U.S. judge appeared skeptical on Jan. 30 about Uber’s bid for a quick pretrial ruling that its drivers are contractors and not employees, a critical question facing Silicon Valley’s sharing economy. App-based...
California Judge Questions Lyft’s Refusal to Pay Drivers as Employees
Jan 30 2015 // Lyft Inc.’s practice of treating drivers as independent contractors was questioned by a federal judge who said that under California law they may be considered employees who would qualify for minimum wage and other...
Local Regulations Prompt Uber to Stop Service in Alabama City
Jan 30 2015 // The ridesharing service Uber has left Auburn, Ala. in its rearview mirror. The Opelika-Auburn News reported that the popular service that lets users book rides using a mobile app sent emails to drivers and customers last...
MetLife to Provide ‘Complete’ Rideshare Insurance for Lyft Drivers in Colorado
Jan 29 2015 // MetLife Auto & Home and Lyft, a nationwide transportation network company (TNC), have launched an auto insurance policy in Colorado tailored specifically for Lyft drivers that covers every stage of the trip. The...
Metromile Insurance Option for Uber Drivers Approved by California Commissioner
Jan 28 2015 // California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones has approved a filing that will enable Uber drivers purchasing coverage through Metromile to add a new coverage endorsement to their personal auto policy. That endorsement will...
Uber Drivers Fined After Series of Florida Stings
Jan 28 2015 // Palm Beach County officials have fined the ride-hailing service Uber and six of its drivers more than $44,000. The Palm Beach Post reports the county conducted stings last week in Boca Raton and Delray Beach, issuing...
NAIC Seeks Input on TNC White Paper
Jan 26 2015 // The National Association of Insurance Commissioners has begun a 30-day comment period on a draft white paper (available here) that no doubt will shape the development in states across the country of insurance requirements...
California Motor Vehicles Revokes Notice on Commercial Plates for Uber
Jan 26 2015 // California has retracted a notice that said private drivers for ridesharing companies such as Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. must have a commercial license plate or risk getting a citation. The California Department...
Uber Auto Policy Meets State Requirements, Says Florida Regulator
Jan 26 2015 // Florida’s insurance regulators have determined that a ridesharing company’s automobile commercial liability policy meets state regulations, but legislative action is likely necessary to clarify whether that...
Personal Auto Insurers Wade Cautiously into Ridesharing Waters
Jan 23 2015 // In recent months, controversy over the potential “uninsured” status of drivers for app-based transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft has finally started to settle down. Those two services —...
Boston Taxi Owner Suit Latest Legal Salvo in Rideshare Wars
Jan 20 2015 // Taxi owners accused Boston officials of violating their constitutional rights by permitting Uber Technologies Inc. and other ride-sharing services to operate on city streets. The cabbies, in a lawsuit filed last Friday by...
