Salt Lake City: Allow ride-sharing like Lyft and Uber

Uber and Lyft provide affordable alternative transportation for residents and visitors to Salt Lake City. Currently, the city is sending secret shoppers to “catch” Lyft and Uber drivers to fine them for not having the proper license to be a taxi. The city claims that it is enforcing these antiquated laws to ensure a level playing field between new companies and old cab companies. The real issue is that these old cab companies have provided such low service that a need for new companies is needed, and has been embraced. Companies like Lyft provide safe, easy, convenient transportation that is far superior to that of any of the cab companies that service Salt Lake City. Under Utah law these drivers are not breaking any laws, only that of the City. We believe that the Mayor and Council-members of Salt Lake City should embrace the new sharing economy and remove the ordinances and restrictions on drivers in the sharing economy and align with the laws of Utah. These drivers should not be under any regulation beyond that of a regular licensed driver in the state of Utah.