Uber threatens to leave El Paso if city council changes Vehicle for Hire rules
Uber said it will cease operations in El Paso if City Council approved changes to the Vehicle for Hire ordinance.
In a letter to Mayor Oscar Leeser and members of the City Council, the general manager of Uber Technologies for North and West Texas said the proposed Vehicle for Hire (VFH) ordinance that the City Council will consider in May “jeopardizes the future of ride-sharing in El Paso.”
Debbee Hancock, who handles communications for Uber, said the letter is authentic.
Taxi drivers and cab companies in El Paso have been up in arms over the ride-sharing services they say have been syphoning away their business. Taxi drivers argue Uber should be regulated like other transportation companies, while Uber contends it’s not a taxi service but simply and an app that puts passengers in touch with drivers. Taxi drivers say regardless of how they’re classified, they both serve the same purpose, adding that it’s unfair they pay thousands of dollars for inspections and background checks in order to operate.
“They’re basically breaking the law. So what if I stopped doing everything I’m supposed to continue to do. Do you think the city would let me operate tomorrow? Probably not,” Ivan Garza, a Sun City Cab Company driver, told ABC-7 during a meeting the city held to get feedback on the issue.
The revised ordinance would require traditional cab companies and Uber to operate under the same rules.
Uber says it supports modern regulations that protect riders and drivers
“The proposed ordinance would require drivers to complete unnecessary 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,” Leandre Johns, wrote in his letter to the El Paso City Council. “We know from experience in other markets that these rules can have a devastating impact on our ability to provide the experience that riders and drivers have come to love and expect. If these regulations are adopted, we will have to make the difficult decision to cease operations in El Paso.”
Johns is asking City Council to delay moving forward with the proposed VFH ordinance and take the time to work with Uber “to create a framework that makes sense for El Paso and allows for ridesharing to continue in this great city.”
The city could not be reached for comment Thursday evening. City council will vote on a new version of the Vehicle for Hire ordinance on May 17.
