New hurdle may keep Uber and Lyft off Vegas streets for now

Commissioner Keith Sakelhide tried in vain to get representatives of both companies to voluntarily adopt fingerprint background checks verified by law-enforcement agencies as a good business practice and to conduct pre-employment or post-accident drug testing of drivers.

Among other things, the regulations that were adopted Friday call for an administrative fee to fund regulators and enforcement staff and require a decal placed on cars working for ride-hauling companies. Lyft is also planning an imminent entrance into Vegas. Medallion owners have the most to lose from competition with Uber, because a medallion is a transferable permit that confers the right to drive a cab, and its value has been steadily eroded as Uber and Lyft have boomed. She said the company was in ongoing discussions with the county about the proposed ordinance.

Uber spokeswoman Eva Behrend stated the corporation believes it is in full compliance with the present guidelines, however, is actively working with officers within the Las Vegas space, particularly with regard to a allow that might permit Uber to select up passengers at McCarran worldwide Airport.

There is debate, however, about whether the county can create a separate business license category for ride-hauling companies.

Uber briefly operated in Nevada final fall, however a decide finally ordered it to cease as a result of it wasn’t abiding by the legal guidelines governing taxis and limos. Portland has allowed the two “transportation network companies” to operate temporarily while it rewrites its taxi regulations.

According to an opinion issued by lawyers from Nevada’s Legislative Counsel Bureau, a municipality can’t prohibit ride-hauling companies from obtaining a business license if they have met all the prerequisites that generally apply to other businesses.

Taxi and limo pursuits have fought towards the brand new authorized framework for ride-hailing corporations.

“I want to confirm that no driver partners with Uber have been arrested in the past or today”, Arya said by email.

Uber officials said it already has about 1,000 drivers available to begin driving right away.

They argued that with the in-app review function, every ride serves as a sobriety test of sorts.