The Virginia House of Delegates passed legislation Friday to allow Transportation Network Companies to be licensed by the Department of Motor Vehicles. Del. Tom Rust, R-Herndon, who sponsored the bill, said TNCs — which include companies such as Uber and Lyft — are highly popular among Virginians and have garnered success in other states.
Del. Tim Hugo, R-Fairfax, also expressed his support of the legislation in a press release.
“The legislation that passed today provides the perfect balance of public safety measures while fostering innovation,” Hugo said. “Improving transportation for Virginians takes more than just building infrastructure; it requires us to embrace new technology to better meet citizens’ transportation needs.”
While the bill just passed through the state legislative body, companies like Uber have fostered their presence throughout the state for months. The UberX Charlottesville team arrived before the start of the fall semester.
“In crafting this legislation, we sought input from all stakeholders involved, and I’m grateful for their many hours of work on it,” Rust said. “When the Governor signs it into law, Virginians can take advantage of this new technology with assurance that reasonable safety and liability measures are governing its use.”
The bill will require the TNCs to fulfill multiple requirements, such as screening drivers and ensuring that each driver employed by these companies is at least 21 years old and has an appropriate driver’s license.
In response to recent controversy regarding Uber rape allegations in major international cities, the bill will require transportation companies to complete extensive background checks of every driver — including criminal background, driving history and history of sexual offenses
The bill also requires all TNC partner vehicles be titled and registered personal vehicles, have insurance and have a maximum seating capacity of no more than seven passengers, excluding the driver.
House Speaker William Howell, R-Stafford, said the legislation shows a compromise in the community.
“This legislation is a true compromise, incorporating input from the public, from the companies, from the DMV, from taxicab operators and many others,” Howell said.
Uber has maintained a presence in Charlottesville for over a semester, but some students said the company’s presence has not been as apparent on locations such as the Corner compared to competitors such as Yellow Cab and College Cab.
Second-year College student Lorial Yeadon said she noticed an Uber vehicle for the first time this past weekend during the Super Bowl.
“It’s weird because you would think they would stand out more and have a larger presence during the weekend in order to get more popularity from students,” Yeadon said. “When I use them at home in Seattle, they are all usually black and have a unified look.”
Under the bill, the DMV will have the authority to conduct periodic reviews of TNCs in order to ensure the requirements are being fulfilled and will authorize fees for DMV to cover the costs of implementing this program.
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