JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Uber is changing the way customers call for rides in Jacksonville and across the county, but traditional cab drivers have been crying foul.
For now, no one on the state level is ready to take on the company, so regulation is falling solely on local governments.
For several years, Jacksonville has been trying to regulate the way Uber does business in town. Council members want the drivers to have background checks and have their cars inspected. They want to make sure the drivers have insurance, and they want them to pay a fee, just like cab drivers do, to be able to operate in the city.
Some Uber Black and other tech driving companies have complied, but the majority have not.
"If you're bound by regulations and you're ignoring them, that's like holding up -- giving the taxpayer and the City Council the one-finger salute, and I don't appreciate that," Councilman John Crescimbeni said.
That's why a council committee met Tuesday to talk about Uber and other vehicle-for-hire companies. Council members learned what happened in Ft. Lauderdale when the city banned the service. Like an old car, it backfired.
Uber turned to social media, and the outcry from taxpayers led to the company's return -- with less regulation.
Uber driver Gary Steele was at the meeting Tuesday in Jacksonville. Council members pounced on him when he said that he can't afford the fees that regular cab companies pay the city. Uber, he said, has become a way of life.
"If you remove Uber -- a lot of people started to rely on our services. It's a very affordable step between public transportation and cabs. We're like half the price," Steele said.
Cab companies and limousine operators said the only problem with Uber is that the rules are different for them and that is unfair
"They need to follow the same rules and regulations that are on the books," said Kate Cronk with About Town Limousine. "That's our gripe, and that's our beef."
"We are being regulated to provide that service, and they are not, and that's all we're asking is for a level playing field," said Brad Braddock with Checker Cab.
In response to those concerns, the City Council might make some changes that would benefit cabs.
Each year, cab drivers have to pay a fee to get a sticker that shows the cab is in compliance. Most Uber drivers have not done that, so the council could waive the late fee for the stickers until March. By then, council members hope to have legislation on the books that could deal with Uber.
Crescimbeni was hoping for an outright ban on Uber until the drivers follow the rules, but he could not get a second on that motion.