After working on new regulations for about a year, the Seattle City Council on Monday voted unanimously to limit the number of rideshare drivers who can be active at any one time.
Companies like UberX, Lyft and Sidecar will be able to each have 150 drivers active on the dispatch system at a given time. Those so-called "transportation network companies" let drivers use their personal vehicles and connect with passengers via smartphone applications."What we're doing today isn't a complete fix, but it's a start," said council member Sally Clark, who led the effort to draft regulations for the burgeoning new industry.
Taxi drivers have said the unregulated rideshare companies have significantly eroded their business. They urged the city to adopt caps and impose insurance requirements.
The city's new regulations also spell out mandatory insurance coverage for TNC drivers.
The resolution will take effect one month after Seattle Mayor Ed Murray signs it into law.