STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE GOV. CHARLIE BAKER on Friday afternoon signed into law what he described as the strongest regulatory framework in the country for app-based ride-for-hire services like Uber and Lyft. “I want to start by thanking the Legislature for pushing this one through,” Baker said after signing the bill in his office. “There […]
Uber
Posted inEconomy, The Back Story
Airbnb follows Uber playbook
FIRST UBER, NOW AIRBNB. The so-called sharing economy that went from zero to billions of dollars in the blink of an eye caught the State House off-guard, but it now appears the Legislature is inclined to regulate these new services with a much lighter touch than the legacy industries with which they compete. After months […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service, The Download, Transportation
The Codcast: Crunch time for ride-hailing bills
The House and Senate have finally named their representatives to the conference committee that will hammer out a compromise on competing bills to regulate ride-hailing companies but whatever the final law looks like, it won’t placate everyone. Sen. Eric Lesser of Longmeadow, one of the members on the panel that wrote the Senate’s final version, and […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics, Transportation
Fingerprints fail in Senate Uber bill
AFTER AN EXHAUSTIVE debate that dragged on for nearly five hours, the state Senate passed Uber-friendly regulations for the runaway ride-hailing industry but not before beating back an impassioned plea by the chamber’s only black member to require fingerprints for background checks on drivers to ensure safety of passengers. “Fingerprinting is not a form of […]
Posted inThe Download, Transportation
Uber and out for taxi protectionism?
Years from now, public policy students or perhaps cultural anthropologists will sift through the history of the current debate in our capital city over what have become known as ride-hailing companies and this thing known as the taxi industry. They’ll wonder how a government-run system was concocted that involved minting a limited number of small […]
Posted inTransportation
Judge says Uber, Lyft should be treated like taxis
A FEDERAL JUDGE on Thursday ordered Boston officials to explain what regulations they plan to implement on ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft to treat them like cabs until the state comes up with some action and why the court should not issue an injunction barring the companies from operating. In a lengthy ruling […]
Posted inThe Download
Michigan shooting puts focus on fingerprinting for Uber drivers
The spree shootings that left six people dead in Kalamazoo, Michigan, allegedly by an Uber driver who police say admitted to the random murders before and after he picked up passengers, has once again shined a spotlight on the ride-hailing industry and its resistance to heightened background checks, including fingerprints. By all accounts, the so-called […]
Posted inThe Back Story, Transportation
Uber uses threats, political pressure to thwart regs
AS LAWMAKERS CONTINUE to work on legislation to regulate the emerging ride-hailing industry in Massachusetts, the biggest sticking point appears to be mandating fingerprints for drivers, a move that has triggered threats by transportation network companies such as Uber to pull up stakes in places where such a policy has been instituted. While no Uber […]
Posted inTransportation
Ridesharing changes benefit all
MORE THAN 30 years in law enforcement has taught me that the phrase “the only constant is change” is undeniably true. The pace of change is only accelerating and law enforcement must acknowledge the benefits and challenges that advancements in technology bring. We live in a reality where innovation can add value for both law […]
Posted inEconomy, Transportation
Cabbies defaulting on loans
BOSTON CABBIES GETTINGÂ hammered by the booming ride-hailing apps are beginning to show signs of being unable to stay afloat as banks have started to foreclose on delinquent loans they hold for the once-valuable medallions. According to data from the Hackney Carriage Unit of the Boston Police Department, the last four medallions sold in the city […]