Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Regulators seek fast-track status to draft Uber rules

Updated Thursday, June 11, 2015 | 3:51 p.m.

CARSON CITY — Nevada transportation regulators say they'll seek to fast-track regulations for ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft.

Members of the Nevada Transportation Authority voted 2-1 on Thursday to petition Gov. Brian Sandoval for emergency status.

Agency spokeswoman Teri Williams said Sandoval's permission would allow officials to get regulations in place and start accepting ride-hailing company applications by a June 29 deadline set by the Legislature.

Democratic state Sen. Kelvin Atkinson said the goal was to get ride-hailing services running by July 1, although representatives from those major companies told regulators Thursday that they weren't sure they would be ready to start by then.

Bills allowing for ride-hailing passed the Legislature after much debate. One imposes a 3 percent fare tax projected to raise more than $70 million over two years.

Authority Chairman Andrew Mackay said he was told “by at least eight senators we would get the funding and we need to do this quick...We need to get this burgeoning industry off the ground.”

Mackay was joined by authority member Keith Sakelhide in voting to seek the emergency status. Member George Assad dissented.

John Moran Jr., representing Western Cab Co. in Las Vegas, summed up many of the objections, saying there was no emergency and the authority must recognize that “the public safety is paramount.”

“I implore you to take a step backward and don’t ask the governor to declare an emergency,” Moran said.

Las Vegas Sun reporter Cy Ryan and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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