Whether Democratic convention-goers will be able to call Uber and other ride-sharing services to get to and from the big event in Philadelphia later this month has become a major headache for city officials and state lawmakers.
A local coalition called Fair Ride Philly and led by traditional taxi drivers is fighting efforts to make the app-based services available to Democratic National Convention goers at the end of the month.
On Tuesday, a state judge reaffirmed an earlier order that prevented ride-sharing services from operating in the city during the convention. The following day, Gov. Tom Wolf signed a budget bill that said they could.
Fair Ride Philly contends that the ride-sharing services are nevertheless still restricted from operating at hotels, airports and train stations, three places that convention-goers are likely to want them the most. Uber disputes that, contending its drivers are prevented only from using designated taxi lanes. The fight is likely to continue up until the convention itself, which starts July 25.
“We want a level playing field,” said Ronald Blount, director of the Taxi Workers Alliance of Philadelphia, an advocacy group and one of the main forces behind Fair Ride Philly.
Democratic convention-goers are likely to want to the option of services such as Uber. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority took a third of its regional fleet out of service last week for repairs, meaning there will likely be a shortage of public transportation options. It is not known when the structurally defective fleet will be back in service.
But using ride-sharing services isn’t going to sit well with one the party’s major allies: organized labor. Unions have been fighting companies like Uber, which mostly use freelancers, on behalf of taxi companies, which are heavily unionized and in direct competition with ride-share services. That’s likely to create awkward situations for some convention-goers.
On Tuesday, state Judge Linda Carpenter reiterated an earlier ruling that said only the elite–level service Uber Black, which provides town cars and limousines, would be allowed to operate in Philadelphia County because it is regulated. The other ride-sharing services are not.
Another hearing on her ruling was set for July 22, just prior to the convention.
The following day, Gov. Tom Wolf signed state budget legislation that would allow ride-sharing companies to operate in the county through the end of September.
Blount says the legislation does not allow unfettered access to ride-sharing services and that hotels, train stations and airports are still restricted. He concedes, however, that “enforcement has been spotty.”
Officials at the Philadelphia Parking Authority did not respond to requests for comment.
Fair Ride Philly has pushed the claim that most ride-share drivers do not meet the requirements for handicapped accessibility. Traditional taxi drivers, who are obligated to meet those rules and abide by numerous other legal requirements to operate in the city, say that is unfair.
“We are handcuffed to 96 pages of regulations,” Blount said, adding that he has to regularly apply for licenses and submit to inspections.
Rebecca Hammell, a Philadelphia disability rights advocate, said that competition with ride-sharing services had caused a “collapse” of industry efforts to ensure that all taxi services were accessible.
Asked if there were fewer transportation options for the disabled since the rise of ride-sharing services, however, Hammell said more are available now. The ubiquity of the services was nevertheless undermining efforts to achieve universal accessibility, she said.
In a statement to the Washington Examiner, Uber argued that it had expanded options for all people.
“Uber is hard at work improving accessible transportation choices in Philadelphia, and we believe there is absolutely more that can be done. Today, we’re proud that UberWAV has made it possible to get an affordable, wheelchair-accessible vehicle within minutes, while many other options can leave someone waiting for hours without a ride,” it said.
