Action from the Texas legislature is overturning a local rule in Austin that effectively kept Uber and Lyft from operating. In May 2016, the city voted in favor of requiring fingerprint-based background checks.
Uber and Lyft responded to that rule by leaving Austin.
However, legislation passed at the state level earlier this month will override that local ordinance. Uber and Lyft will have an easy time returning to Austin once bill HB 100 is signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott. They'll likely begin operating this coming week.
The legislation requires ride-hailing companies to conduct criminal background and sex offender background checks. However, the companies get to pick which exact checks they want to run. Since Uber's internal checks are known to have failed in the past, there are some concerns about giving companies control over the process.
0 Comments