City Leaders and Organizations heeding Uber threats

latest threat. uber –an app that puts those looking for a ride in touch with drivers –tells city leaders in a letter it cease to operate in el paso if city council passes an ordinance that puts them in the same category with taxis. abc-7’s jerry najera is live with the story … rick estela the app has not only gained popularity since it started in 2014 but it’s also provided employment for hundreds of drivers. taxi drivers across the nation have argued that uber drivers don’t have pay to get costly permits and it puts them at an unfair advantage but the idea of losing uber in el paso has some concerned. “the ordinance was to level the playing field with the taxi drivers here so they can compete better with companies like uber” district one city rep peter svarsbein is talking about the vehicle for hire ordinance. the ordinance will go before city council in may. an ordinance uber tells city leaders “would require driver to complete unecessary and and duplicative steps that make it difficult for them to earn extra money and hurt our ability to ensure that riders have access to reliable and affordable transportation” “ub is a wonderful tool that enhances the quality of life of many different el pasoans from the east side to the west side from downtown to central to the northeast” svarbein tells me he understands arguments of taxi companies need to be heard. “i think it comes down to a balance other northeast” svarbein tells me he understands arguments of taxi companies need to be heard. ” think it comes down to a balance other cities have lost uber there we can a system that’s in place where it’s fair to the rights of el pasoans but also make sure that uber stays here in el paso” svarsbei feels uber in el paso can be an advantage for many. “it’s the kind of amenity tha keeps drunks off the road that allows citizens of el paso who might be in between jobs or want to supplement income the ability to do so” and speakin of drunk driving “we are able to d everything through our telephone now so i see a lot of individuals that are in their youth that are young adults that do take uber as an option rather than getting behind the wheel” adults that do take uber as an option rather than getting behind the wheel” mothers against drunk driving program manager vanessa marquez says the organization does have a partnership with uber but wants to keep all options open. “wether it is a share ride like uber or taxis as many options as we have that’s better for our community because it makes our streets safer” uber has ceased operation in galveston midland and corpus christi this year. city council will vote on a new version of the vehicle for hire ordinance on may 17. in southern ohio … the public is being urged to