Calif. Commission to Vote on Rental Car Ban in Ride Sharing

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) postponed voting on a proposed rule that would ban ride-sharing drivers (Lyft, Uber) from using rental cars to pick up passengers if the driver signed a lease for less than four months, according to a report by the Santa Cruz Sentinel.

The proposal faced pushback from drivers and rental car companies that partner with Uber and Lyft, says the report.

“There might be some benefit to going back and developing the record more on this question, Commissioner Liane Randolph said during a public hearing. “I still think that ‘personal vehicle’ doesn’t just necessarily mean that you just run down to Joe’s car lot and pick one up.”

Commissioners voted 4 to 1 to approve other changes to ride-share regulations, says the report. Under the new regulations, drivers must submit to heightened vehicle inspection standards and need to display their company logo in both the back and front of their vehicles.

Additionally, transportation network companies (TNCs) — like Lyft and Uber — must submit additional information to the commission about drivers who are suspended and provide data about how they calculate their carpool fares, says the report.

These new mandates are updates to the rules approved by the commissions when they first legalized ride-sharing for personal vehicles in 2013.

Click here to view the full Santa Cruz Sentinel report: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/article/NE/20160421/NEWS/160429941