In one vote, the city has destroyed thousands of jobs and eliminated a safe transportation option. The city's decision to ignore the will of 13,000 constituents who repeatedly urged the city to keep Uber in San Antonio is disconcerting to say the least.
The revised ordinance remains one of the most burdensome in the nation. In addition to the duplicative and unnecessary driver requirements, the city imposed excessive insurance requirements at the 11th hour. We are disappointed that we will not be able to operate in San Antonio when this ordinance is implemented.
Drivers and riders in San Antonio were hopeful when they learned Mayor Taylor would delay implementation of the redundant requirements and lead the charge to create modern regulations for ride-sharing in San Antonio. However this hope was short-lived as the City Council’s revised ordinance still includes many of the same duplicative and unworkable driver requirements. The anti-competitive provisions of the ordinance remain intact – many of them requiring drivers to spend time and money jumping through municipal hoops to achieve objectives already accomplished by the Uber platform.
The regulations adopted in December extend far beyond anything we’ve seen in the state. By the mayor’s own admission, many of these requirements are not “feasible.” Even with the proposed changes, this regulatory framework remains one of the most burdensome in the nation and stymies our ability to operate in San Antonio. This is why we asked the city to repeal the entire ordinance and replace it with smart regulations similar to those adopted by nearly two dozen other jurisdictions, including Austin. Without a full repeal, we will be forced to leave town.
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