Drivers of ridesharing services Lyft and Uber in New Mexico should face strict drug testing requirements like taxi drivers and keep detailed records of such tests, the state Attorney General Hector Balderas told regulators in April.
In a letter to the state’s Public Regulation Commission, Balderas asked commissioners to strengthen public safety standards around ridesharing services amid new rules.
Earlier in the month, the state’s Public Regulation Commission voted 4-1 on new regulations clearing way for the companies to function under guidelines separate from those that govern traditional taxi services. But detailed drug testing requirements were dropped.
Instead, the commission voted to adopt rules requiring testing only after accidents.
The San Francisco-based Lyft and Uber had been operating in New Mexico despite complaints for taxi companies. Spokeswomen for Lyft and Uber did not immediately return emails from The Associated Press.
The legal status of Uber and Lyft in New Mexico had been in limbo since they began offering services in the state last year. The two businesses say the state’s Motor Carrier Act doesn’t apply to them because neither operates as a commercial taxi business. Rather, they offer an online service that allows people with cars to connect with people seeking rides, the companies said.
Topics Legislation Personal Auto Mexico New Mexico
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