Palm Beach County Green-lights Uber and Lyft

Apps such as Lyft and Uber solve a basic problem, I need a ride from A to B but can’t find a taxi because of X. Out of this problem these companies were born and have solved the problem of worrying about a DD on a Saturday night as well as allowing anyone with a car to earn some extra cash. And in this stagnant economy, extra money is good.

On Tuesday, Uber got the green light to continue operating in Palm Beach County. Since September 2014, the app-based ride services such as Lyft and Uber have been operating in Palm Beach under a temporary agreement set to expire April 30, 2016. The County hoped by 2015 the state legislature would enact uniform regulations for the entire state, however this never happened. With the agreement set to expire on April 30th, Palm Beach County Commissioners met earlier in April to set rules of operation for the popular ride hailing services. The County Commission passed the first of two votes on April 5th, 7-0, and this past Tuesday the Commission voted 5-1 allowing Uber and other ride hailing services to stay on the roads.

Various questions have been raised surrounding Uber and Lyft operating in Palm Beach County, including safety issues. While taxi companies argue Uber does not go far enough to protect the public, Uber contends the rules are enough to guarantee they will operate safely. In recent months, safety has been a point of concern for not only Uber but also it’s riders. Uber continues to improve safety procedures with its drivers to ensure both the passenger and the Uber driver are safe.

Tuesday’s victory for Uber was no small feat, but it proves Palm Beach County is a place open to new ways of doing business, and will embrace technology no matter how long it takes.