Chicago Tribune (March 31)
Ride share services like Lyft, Uber X and Sidecar are changing the way people get around urban environments like Chicago. “Consumers like ride shares. They like being able to find a nearby car, check out the driver and agree to a fare, all on their smartphones. They like the option of paying a premium for faster service in peak hours or bad weather. They like choices.” In contrast, taxi owners are unhappy with the new competition and pushing for tighter regulation or outright bans on ride sharing. Some prudent regulation is inevitable and desirable, but lawmakers should side with consumers rather than protecting “the people who got into the taxi business by paying $300,000 or more for a city medallion.”
Tags: Bans, Chicago, Consumers, Lyft, Premium, Regulation, Ride share, Sidecar, Smartphones, Taxis, Uber X
