The California Public Utilities Commission has unanimously approved new regulations around ridesharing services such as Lyft, SideCar, and UberX (as initially noted in a number of reports on Twitter.
The CPUC proposed the rules back in July, offering a legal framework forridesharing services to operate throughout the state. As we reported then, most of the regulations revolved around public safety, as well as ensuring that drivers have had background checks and are covered by insurance in the case of an accident.
Lyft co-founder and President John Zimmer told me that California is the first state to establish such rules. While the company already operates in San Francisco (where it’s headquartered), Los Angeles, and San Diego, Zimmer said the decision “provides clarity to our communities here in markets that already exist” while also setting the stage for launching in more cities. He also said that when he talks to regulators in other cities and states, they’re usually looking to see how things shake out in California, and now the state has shown there’s “a way to do this that doesn’t compromise on safety, innovation, or choice for consumers.”
As for the regulations that were actually passed today, Zimmer said some of the language has changed, but the substance is similar to what was proposed in July.
A CPUC spokesperson said the main revision since July is strengthening some of the provisions around insurance. They’re sending me a copy of the final decision — tn the meantime, here are the rules as they were proposed a couple of months ago.
Updating
