Rep. Godshall tries to untangle Philly's ride-share knot

Uber and the Philadelphia Parking Authority are turning out to be rowdy passengers on the journey to craft a state bill regulating ride shares, said the legislator charged with getting a bill to the General Assembly.

"Time is of the essence, and we've had two damn years," said State Rep. Bob Godshall, head of the House Consumer Affairs Committee. He said the PPA has been disengaged and Uber has inflamed tensions.

On Thursday, Uber thumbed its nose at a player in the negotiations, the Philadelphia International Airport. For the first time, it began allowing UberX drivers to pick up passengers from the airport. The airport regulates car service, and until this week, Uber had blocked UberX drivers from accepting fares from the airport.

The company did not offer an explanation for the change, but the move angered another interested party: taxicab drivers. They pay a small fee to the airport in exchange for the right to pick up fares there. UberX drivers aren't paying, and they aren't subject to background checks.

"The taxis and the Uber Blacks [an Uber livery service different from UberX] and all of us are screened at the airport - they look at our background checks," said Ronald Blount of the Taxi Workers Alliance of Pennsylvania. "It's just really crazy that there's no security with this system."

Airport officials said Friday that UberX was breaking the law by picking up passengers there and said police would be watching for these drivers.

Meanwhile, the PPA raised the ire of ride-sharing companies when a regulatory wish list surfaced that was presented as evidence of goals shared by the PPA and taxi companies.

Currently drivers for UberX and Lyft, who use proprietary apps to connect with passengers looking for a ride, operate legally in 66 Pennsylvania counties under a temporary certificate that expires this year.

In Philadelphia, though, the PPA has said these drivers should be subject to the same background checks and inspections cab drivers agree to. The wish list for the PPA also includes the right to regulate fares for ride shares. Legislation, which has already passed the state Senate, is supposed to create a framework that would allow the businesses to operate legally in Philadelphia.

The House bill, which is based on a state Senate bill that passed in 2015, was supposed to move out of committee Monday, Godshall said. Last-minute questions from cab companies, the city, and the airport, along with issues over insurance coverage, put the brakes on a vote.

"It was just a convoluted mess, to tell you the truth," Godshall said.

Legislators have until April 27 to propose solutions, he said. If legislation can't be completed by the first week of May, the committee head intends to go forward with a bill that excludes Philadelphia, leaving ride-share services in limbo once again.

"The Parking Authority has helped very little, and they are just sitting back and watching the whole thing," Godshall groused.

The PPA disputed that characterization, saying it had been involved in negotiations and had met regularly with Uber, including a meeting Friday.

"They have been working on a compromise on this bill, and they will continue to do so," said Martin O'Rourke, PPA spokesman.

Uber didn't share the PPA's conciliatory tone.

"The PPA claims to be neutral but at every turn, from recently exposed emails between the PPA and taxi medallion owners to this joint list of demands," a statement said, "it is clear they are colluding with taxi to help protect their monopoly in Philadelphia."

jlaughlin@phillynews.com

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