Paul Miller, legislative counsel to The Transportation Alliance, testifies before the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Subcommittee on Highways & Transit
Washington, D.C. — Paul Miller, legislative counsel to The Transportation Alliance (formerly the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association) testified before the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Subcommittee on Highways & Transit recently, outlining passenger safety concerns about transportation network companies (TNCs).
Uber and Lyft surprised and frustrated lawmakers by failing to appear at the hearing. The topic of the hearing was “Examining the Future of Transportation Network Companies Challenges and Opportunities.”
Miller testified about the inadequacy of Uber’s and Lyft’s background-check process and the need for passengers to be protected by fingerprint-based background checks.
During the hearing, Miller informed the committee that the General Services Administration (GSA) is planning to reimburse TNCs for federal-employee travel instead of using taxis or other transportation modes. Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR) responded: “That was news to me. We definitely have a handle on that.”
“This is a particularly important moment for Congress to address TNC passenger safety as the GSA moves to outsource federally funded transportation,” said Terry O’Toole, President of The Transportation Alliance. “We urge Congress to protect riders by requiring effective fingerprint background checks of drivers.”
Visit thetransportationalliance.org for more information.
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