Uber says it will defy court ruling in Pittsburgh
(Image courtesy Bull-Doser via WikiMedia Commons)
Judges in Pittsburgh have granted emergency orders to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to shut down ride-sharing services UberX and another Pittsburgh-area provider, Lyft. The ruling doesn’t appear to have implications for the Philadelphia area.
The services use apps to connect drivers and passengers. That’s innovative, said Judges Mary Long and Jeffrey Watson in Pittsburgh, but the rules against using private vehicles for transportation without the right paperwork are also very clear.
Uber says the court “is deciding […]to cast favor on an industry well-known for poor reliability in Pittsburgh,” that is, taxi cabs.
The decision won’t affect revelers in need of a lift in the Philly region this weekend. Uber operates town cars in southeast Pennsylvania. Existing regulations here kept Uber from operating ride-sharing services in Philly.
And even in Pittsburgh, UberX says it will continue to operate anyway and incur state fines.
Uber X operates vehicles in southern New Jersey, where this ruling also will not apply.
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