The ridesharing app Uber has launched in Portland, Ore. without having city approval.
The app started functioning Friday at 5 p.m., and drivers have been able to instantly begin supplying rides, regional manager Brooke Stever said.
“I don’t believe we’re going against the city’s wishes,” Stever told KGW-Television. “We hope the city embraces this and listens to their constituents, the people of Portland and drivers partnering with us.”
But there’s small likelihood of that happening. City Commissioner Steve Novick said Uber is breaking a law that prohibits unlicensed taxis, and the city is prepared to levy hefty fines against drivers and the business.
“There’s nothing sharing about this so-known as `sharing economy’ company,” Novick said. “They want to profit in Portland without having playing by the identical rules as existing cab businesses.”
Uber offers automobile service in 250 cities in 50 countries, and it has been fighting regulatory hurdles in a lot of places.
Minutes soon after Uber began offering Portland service, code enforcement officers logged onto the app in an try to catch drivers violating taxi regulations. But demand was so high that they couldn’t book a ride, The Oregonian reported.
Novick sent 2 code enforcement officers and a staff member to stand outdoors a downtown Portland hotel to catch Uber drivers.
Standing on Southwest Broadway, Novick policy adviser Bryan Hockaday and Frank Dufay, the city’s private-for-employ-transportation manager, couldn’t get the app to book a ride.
“I believe they’ve blocked me and Frank,” Hockaday mentioned. “You have to sign up with your real name. It won’t let you use a fake one particular.”
Erich England, a city code enforcement officer, said 2 Uber drivers canceled on him when he asked for a 6-block ride. When he realized they may favor passengers in search of a longer ride, there were no drivers accessible.
“I guess we’ll try it once again some other time,” he mentioned.
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Uber Launches in Oregon City Approval
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