Iowa City Council discusses taxi cab regulations, regulating Uber drivers

Iowa City taxi drivers and potential incoming Uber network sharing drivers might be seeing some changes to the city regulations and requirements on their businesses.

The Iowa City Council Tuesday discussed proposed changes to the city's taxicab ordinance, with the focus of the proposals on increasing public safety. The council will likely vote formally on the issue in January.

The recommended changes first came to light earlier this year, following a sexual assault investigation that became a logistical nightmare when Iowa City police spent hundreds of hours trying to track down information on local cabdrivers to build the case.

Changes for traditional metered taxicabs in the recommendation would require:

' The city to issue identification cards for all drivers operating taxicabs in Iowa City.

' Each company to have a physical location for dispatch during all hours of operation to allow police to easily contact a company in the middle of the night if involved in an investigation.

' Only allowing drivers to charge a flat rate for locations within city limits, rather than a destination rate, which officials hope will reduce the chance of price gouging.

' A unique color scheme for each taxicab company.

The goals in the proposed changes are that police have access to timely and accurate information on vehicles and drivers, consumers can easily identify vehicles and drivers, taxicabs are safe vehicles, drivers are considered 'good drivers” and ensuring that fares represent a 'fair price,” according to the recommendation.

Networking drivers with companies like Uber would be required to have proper insurance and possess window identification, but would not face the same requirements as traditional taxicabs.

'I'm looking at the fairness between the two of them and it seems we're heavily weighted on one side,” council member Kingsley Botchway said.

Without an easy way to pick an Uber vehicle out in traffic, Iowa City Police Capt. Doug Hart said the responsibility to respond to complaints or calls for service will be the department's to enforce.

As a considerably different business model than a traditional taxicab, Uber customers book and pay for rides online, council member Michelle Payne did note that the city will be adapting to the new market while customers of ride-sharing businesses will need to remain vigilant.

'The consumer has some responsibility here to not get into anybody's car,” she said. 'They shouldn't just jump in a car.”

l Comments: (319) 339-3175; mitchell.schmidt@thegazette.com