Calif. Ride-Hailing Drivers Can Now Use Rented Vehicles

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has approved regulations allowing Uber and Lyft drivers to use rented vehicles while on the job, according to a report by the San Francisco Examiner.

Rented and leased vehicles have been redefined as personal vehicles for ride-hailing drivers. That means drivers can now legally rent vehicles to drive for Uber and Lyft instead of using the cars they own, according to the report. This could encourage more people to be able to afford to drive for ride-hailing platforms.

Taxi companies were frustrated with the decision. “It’s gone from someone’s personal car you were supposedly sharing to someone renting a car to use for commercial purposes,” Hansu Kim, owner of San Francisco’s Flywheel Taxi Service, told the Examiner.

Gov. Jerry Brown legalized the use of rented vehicles to drive for Uber and Lyft in September, says the report.

Click here for the full San Francisco Examiner report.