Civic News

Councilman Jim Kenney wants to talk about ridesharing

The call for hearings on the issue was prompted by two state bills currently under consideration.

City Council chambers. (Photo by Mitchell Leff for the City of Philadelphia)

Councilman Jim Kenney proposed a bill last week calling for hearings on legalizing ridesharing — meaning apps like Sidecar, Lyft and Uber.

The move was prompted by two state bills currently under consideration, one that would legalize ridesharing in the state and another that would make the practice illegal in Philadelphia, PlanPhilly reported.

Sidecar was shut down in Philadelphia in the summer of 2013, though Uber (but not its ridesharing counterpart UberX) continues to operate in the city. As of this past summer, Lyft spokeswoman Katie Dally said the startup had no plans to launch in Philadelphia and would not comment on whether Lyft had any staffers in the city.

Gubernatorial candidate Tom Wolf supports the bill to legalize ridesharing but opposes the one to keep it banned in Philadelphia, according to PlanPhilly.

Read the full story on PlanPhilly
Correction: Kenney has yet to voice a public opinion on whether or not he supports ridesharing. An earlier headline suggested he's in favor of it. (10/7/14, 11:51 a.m.)
Companies: Lyft / Philadelphia City Council / Uber
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