The License Commission in Cambridge, Massachusetts just outside of Boston wants to prevent you from using rideshare services like Uber, Lyft and Sidecar by slapping regulations on taxi rides.
According to Uber’s website, the proposed rules would force individuals to pay a minimum of $50 for a non-taxi cab ride of any distance and duration. That’s substantially more than the cost of a ride from Cambridge to Boston’s Logan Airport, which spans six miles and travels through pricey toll booths. In fact, a passenger could ride to and from the airport for less than $50 in light traffic.
The regulations would also prevent travelers from requesting a ride on-demand from a non-taxi service. So, Cambridge residents, including Harvard University students, would no longer be able to “hail” an Uber or Sidecar vehicle using their smartphones.
And finally, the commission seeks to eliminate technological devices from fare calculation for any cab ride, which is another blow to the technology that has made Uber and rideshare services like it so attractive.
As of Tuesday, the Cambridge License Commission had not voted on the regulations, but their fine print is still scary for rideshare users everywhere, not just in the Boston area. Recently, officials in Virginia sent letters to Uber and Lyft ordering them to stop their services in the state.
