spread the Uber app today in Austin and you ’ll be in for a surprise : The app only say , “ NO PICKUPS as of May 9th … Due to regulation passed by the City Council , Uber is no longer available within Austin city point of accumulation . ” That ’s right . No Uber .
Texans ( and visitors ) needing a drive around Austin will now have to walk all the room to a quoin , order a driver where they require to go instead just insert the address in an app , and give using real , newspaper money . It ’s a ghastly scene for any city with tacos this commodity .
Both Uber and Lyft stopped service Austin followinga voteSaturday that would not let off them from raw regulation , including the fingerprinting of drivers . elector voiced their livelihood for the fingerprinting measuring stick 56 % to 44 % . Uber and Lyft , for their part , argue these rules make it unmanageable for them to follow their current business models .
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Both ridesharing services had previously been allowed to self - regulate in the urban center , but in December , the Austin urban center council passed a Seth of rule that let in the fingerprinting measure , something both companies opposed because they had background check systems in position already andnothingevergoeswrongwhen industries are allowed to patrol themselves .
Between the two services and other campaigners on their side , opposition to the law of nature change drop more than $ 8.1 million , agree to theAustin American - Statesman , in a blitzburying voterswith Mailer , ads , headphone calls and text subject matter . That’sa record amountfor an Austin ballot proposal , and a band of money to spend for a business that argues its theoretical account wo n’t survive fingerprinting . In the end , the blitz was n’t enough .
“ The rules pass by City Council do n’t countenance true ridesharing to operate , ” said a Lyft voice in a affirmation . “ Instead they make it harder for part - fourth dimension drivers , the eye of Lyft ’s peer - to - peer example , to get on the road and harder for rider to get a ride . Because of this , we have to take a stand for a prospicient - terminus course onward that lease ridesharing continue to grow across the country . ”
Included in that opulent blitz were some questionable assertions about what the nonstarter of Proposition 1 would mean , as highlight inthis KVUE segment .
This is the first major ruling against the ride - portion out services – or other major communion saving apps like Airbnb – and will be seen as a triumph for taxicab table service in the metropolis . It ’s not probable to be the last of these battles , either . Uber has alreadyannounced plansto leave Houston over similar rules , and other community economy service like Airbnb have been contentiously debated around the world . Previously , Uber leave behind San Antonioover like rules , but give calendar month later when the rules were made voluntary .
With both companies pull out of Austin on Monday , it ’ll definitely be tougher to get around for a few days . However , if they continue their “ I ’m pick up my toys and leave ” philosophy of negotiating , it might leave a vacuum for ship’s company likeGetMeand Wingz to take over some of the securities industry . multitude need drive and driver take body of work . Something ’s got ta give .
