Broward County Orders Uber and Lyft to Cease Operations

By Chris Joseph Thu., Dec. 4 2014 at 1:33 PM

via Uber

Broward County has sent a letter to Uber and Lyft, warning the companies that their drivers are facing arrest and having their cars impounded. The letter outright tells them that they must "cease operations in Broward County'' until their drivers fall in line with county taxi laws and transportation regulations.

Uber, which has grown into a nationwide phenomenon and recently secured $1.2 billion in funding, has been a sore spot for local taxi cab drivers, who say the company plays by its own rules while poaching away customers. Lyft, which is also addressed in the letter, has accused Uber of taking away drivers.

Uber announced its arrival in Broward County in August.

Customers have praised Uber for its convenience. To get an Uber ride, you simply download an app and pay a fixed fee. There's no dispatcher, as with conventional taxi or limousine services.

However, there are also no industry regulations placed on the drivers, which has been an issue with taxi cab companies across the country.

Earlier this year, Uber started a petition to get the Florida Legislature to approve a bill to allow its operations statewide. The petition ultimately failed.

And now the letter sent by Broward commissioners, which you can read in its entirety below, says that Uber and Lyft need to comply with county laws, such as having their drivers obtain chauffeur licenses, permits, and decals. There are also requirements for a separate set of decals to be allowed to transport customers to and from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport as well as Port Everglades.

Drivers must get a specific type of insurance and pay a fee to be permitted to transport people to and from the airport and port.

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bri_bender77

The last time I took a cab, the driver was Drunk and smelled of vomit... The car was broken down, no AC, & the Windows wouldn't go down. AND it too smelled of vomit... He was rude, didn't speak English, and couldn't find our destination...

Now I ride in Mercedes and BMW, car sparkling clean, and they pick me up within 2-3 minutes... They are polite, clean shaven, and can drive sanely & safely...

OBVIOUSLY, cabs do not have a chance. None what so ever.

Unless the powers that be are trying to Legalize Monopolies...

Last I checked, monopolies are illegal...

Cab Operators, you now have something called COMPETITION...

And you have no chance what so ever...

frankd4 topcommenter

basically if BROWARD COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ARE AGAINST IT - it simply must be good for the residents and travelers and visitors as a fair and honest business model run by decent and capable management (JUST OBSERVE THE BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION model of waste, corruption, UNlicensed drivers, etc etc)

frankd4 topcommenter

...............hey broward county commisioners - REGULATE THIS !

MAYHEM ON THE BUS: EXPLORE THE DATABASE

With more than 4,500 bus stops and 125,000 daily passengers, Broward County Transit drivers deal with everything from serious accidents to passenger illness and crime. These are the accident and incident reports filed with the transit agency.

frankd4 topcommenter

................regulate this !

LENIENT POLICIES AND SLOPPY ENFORCEMENT AT BROWARD COUNTY TRANSIT.............BAD BUS DRIVERS RETURN TO THE ROAD

By Brittany Wallman / sun-sentinel / 12/13/2014

BAD BUS DRIVERs stay behind the wheel despite many "preventable" accidents

frankd4 topcommenter

.................... so it's OKAY for a COUNTY TRANSIT BUS to be driven by someone WHO DOES NOT HAVE A LICENSE but any other violation of "regulations" will be pursued ?

....................yes, it's TRUE, we have bus drivers here in BROWARD COUNTY that are driving buses withOUT valid drivers licenses ! ? !

so what did the BROWARD COUNTY COMMISSION DO ? - nothing !

but when an outside entity that works in NY and LA and CHI and EUROPE comes in then all of a sudden BROWARD COUNTY is the public protector or good against evil

IF SCOTT ROTHSTEIN HAD INTRODUCED UBER AND LYFT YOU WOULD SEE THESE CARS ON EVERY STREET IN BROWARD COUNTY !

Rachel R Levy Lewis

Insurance liability aside, sound like Jesse Gaddis paid off some more of his county commissioner buddies.

Natalia Barahona

Angie Gerig!

Don Colonello

Gotta love the one guy that loves this!

Don Colonello

I'm currently very happy with Uber. At this very moment, in a luxury car looking at a taxi. Feeling safer, cleaner, and cheaper. Take it away Broward, just like feeding the homeless! What's next, no bubblegum chewing?

FSUM1015 topcommenter

Jennifer Condie, a cabdriver from Palm Beach County, echoed the Chicago cabbie's sentiments, telling New Times that the main issue she and her fellow cabbies had with Uber was a lack of regulation. "I have no problem with ride share entering our market," she said. "But it has to be regulated."

That's it! Regulate it to make it safer!!!!

FSUM1015 topcommenter

Just wait 'til Uber and Lift drivers start handing out free food to the homeless...

frankd4 topcommenter

...........BASICALLY THE county CANNOT RESTRAIN TRADE so this whole scam about regulation is a joke when compared to the UNregulated scams that went on during the after-math of hurricanes

fraudsters are BROWARD COUNTY's bread-and-butter revenue generators like PREDATORY TOWING and real estate development and construction of runways and long-distance rail operations

..................just GREASE the commissioners and this thing happens as surely as scott rothstein BUYING BSO

Michael Sauer

These services are a giant lawsuit waiting to happen. Anyone that uses these transportation services should know the risks involved.

Shawn Manganiello

I am an Uber driver and stay away from the Airport just because I rather not deal with the BS. By I'll tell you I use it as a passenger as well. Great service that's for sure. #m'erica

frankd4 topcommenter

...............if scott rothstein could buy BSO for $185,ooo then for about $100,ooo combined these entities could own the commission - screw the local yokel taxi companies - and don't even get me started on car-for-hire regulations

BLACK FRIDAY PREDATORY TOWING scam that took 200 cars from an Applebys lot - the taxi drivers would NOT allow those whose cars were towed to SHARE RIDEs to the towing operators yard - cha-ching - at $95 a pop

WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO REGULATE THAT TAXI SCAM ?