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Solution needed for transit options [Florida Times Union](Florida Times Union Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Before there was uberX and Lyft, there were hackers. These men, usually elderly and African-American, provided a similar service to carless customers leaving urban core stores. They would charge customers who were carrying loads of groceries a small fee for a ride home. Like Lyft and uberX, they capitalized on a need for transportation cheaper than a cab but more efficient than the bus. That's why it's been worrisome to see the recent attempts by Jacksonville City Council members Stephen Joost and Robin Lumb to toughen regulations against the driver services.POWERED BY DIGITAL AGE Lyft and uberX allow people to download an app to their smartphones and click on it. A driver using his personal vehicle will arrive to pick them up and take them directly to their destination. The fee is paid through the app via credit card. According to the Times-Union, city parking division chief Jack Shad recently told council members that the companies were operating illegally because they weren't following city regulations, such as requiring their drivers to have a valid for-hire permit issued by the city and allowing city inspections. They've been ordered to cease-and-desist even as the companies have asked to work with the city to craft regulations that account for new technology. Joost and Lumb said they want penalties harsher than $500 per violation. I get that Joost and Lumb want to make sure that people are safe when they choose a mode of transportation. That's a valid concern. But Jacksonville has too big of a transportation problem for anyone to make it even harder for riders to have more efficient choices. And for some people in Northwest Jacksonville who need to reach better-paying jobs south of the St. Johns River, uberX and Lyft could be a viable option. While one-way bus fare is $1.50, buses can be delayed by stops and people can miss them, so many employers don't count the bus as being reliable. And that's why many people forced to depend on buses don't get hired.MORE CONVENIENCE An uberX fare, however, can be split among passengers, and can make the ride more affordable. While many working poor can't afford computers or cars, many own mobile phones as a 2012 Pew Center study found. Many are also able to find secured credit cards and other cards. So for some, uberX or Lyft may be a better option. The websites of both companies, by the way, show that they operate throughout the city. The cab and limousine owners are right to be concerned about losing business. And Joost and Lumb are right to be concerned about safety and whether Uber and Lyft are playing by the rules. But we now live in an age of innovation, one in which technology and new ideas will continue to make life cheaper and more convenient for people. Lyft and uberX, like the food trucks, are part of this innovative age. Like the hackers, these companies - which operate in cities throughout the nation - have tapped into an unmet need. City Council should find a solution that recognizes that need. It should not do something that could hurt the very constituents it's trying to protect.Website for the Pew report: tinyurl.com/ mt7e2ww.- Email: [email protected] Twitter:@tonyaajw- Like her at www.facebook.com/tonyaajweathersbee- Visit her at www.tonyaajweathersbee.com (c) 2014 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |