The Los Angeles City Council this week approved a proposal to allow transportation network companies (TNCs) such as Uber and Lyft to operate at Los Angeles International Airport.

Los Angeles councilmembers requested the city attorney to detail the powers to require fingerprinting for all transportation providers, like Uber an Lyft. (Photo courtesy of Lyft)

“Angelenos and visitors to our city are using services like Uber and Lyft to get to and from the airport in a manner that is unregulated, unmonitored and inconvenient. Our challenge has been to meet the demands of a changing marketplace to ensure safety, transparency and accessibility,” said Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, 3rd District. “The council embraced rather than hindered new technologies to provide the safe and convenient access Angelenos demand.”

The council considered testimony from subject-matter experts and stakeholders including representatives from LAWA, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), and ground transportation providers including Lyft and Uber as well as the taxi and livery industries.

Blumenfield made a series of passenger safety and accountability recommendations that shaped the final proposal.

As part of the vote, councilmembers requested the city attorney to detail the powers of the city to require fingerprinting for all transportation providers, and called on the

California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to develop a strict and comprehensive background check process equivalent to that required of taxi services in the city.

The vote also requires Los Angeles World Airports to report back to the trade, commerce, and tourism committee in six months to assess the effectiveness of the geo-fence and driver citations related to TNC’s, including those related to rideshare apps like Uber.

“The vote is a step in the right direction to improve the safety of passengers who choose to use rideshare apps such as Uber,” said William Rouse, general manager of Los Angeles Yellow Cab. “The city has the authority to ensure better background checks on TNCs, and (this vote) signals a good first step toward protecting the consumer when calling for a rideshare.”

Rouse thanked Councilmember Paul Krekorian, 2nd District, for putting public safety first.

“The safety of passengers and the general public remains the most important concern of our industry, and we are grateful that the city council agrees with our concerns,” he said.