Latest Sharing Economy Headlines
All the headlines from our Sharing Economy Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Uber’s Office in Southern China Raided by Government: Xinhua News Agency
May 1 2015 // Authorities in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou have raided the local office of online ride-hailing service Uber on suspicion of “unlicensed operation,” seizing a number of mobile phones, the official...
New Mexico AG Says Uber, Lyft Drivers Need Drug Testing
May 1 2015 // Drivers of ridesharing services Lyft and Uber in New Mexico should face strict drug testing requirements like taxi drivers and keep detailed records of such tests, the state Attorney General Hector Balderas told regulators...
Mass. Gov. Baker Calls for New State Regs on Ride-Hailing Companies
Apr 27 2015 // Drivers for ride-hailing services such as Uber or Lyft would be required to undergo state criminal background checks, and the companies would be required to carry at least $1 million in liability insurance for each ride,...
Uber, Lyft Balk at Fingerprinting Georgia Drivers
Apr 27 2015 // Popular ride-hailing firms like Uber and Lyft are fighting lawsuits in Atlanta and other cities from cab drivers, taxi and limousine companies claiming the techno upstarts are siphoning off passengers and profits by...
Wisconsin Legislature Passes Ridesharing Bill
Apr 22 2015 // The Wisconsin Senate has approved a bill that would create statewide regulations on ridesharing companies such as Uber and Lyft. The legislation, which already passed the House, now goes to Gov. Scott Walker. The measure...
Kansas Gov. Says ‘No’ to Expanded Uber Driver Regulation
Apr 22 2015 // Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback has vetoed a bill that would have increased regulations on ridesharing companies like Uber, a decision that could face an override vote when the Legislature returns from its annual recess April...
Nevada Uber Regulation Bill That Failed Senate Shows Signs of Life
Apr 22 2015 // A bill that would allow for ridesharing companies such as Uber in Nevada is showing signs of life after failing a vote of the Nevada Senate. SB439 was granted a deadline waiver on Monday, meaning it can be reconsidered at...
Judge in California Rules Uber Must Face Suit Claiming Bias Against Blind Riders
Apr 21 2015 // Uber Technologies Inc. must defend against a lawsuit accusing the popular ride-sharing service of discriminating against blind people by refusing to transport guide dogs, a federal judge ruled. In a decision late Friday...
New Jersey Grapples With How, Whether to Regulate Uber, Lyft
Apr 20 2015 // Ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft could be driven out of New Jersey if a bill lawmakers are considering becomes law. That’s at least what the transportation network companies faced with potential new...
Colorado Prosecutors Charge Uber Driver Accused of Attempted Break-In
Apr 20 2015 // Prosecutors have charged a Colorado Uber driver accused of trying to break into the home of a woman he drove to the airport. The Denver District Attorney’s Office announced in April that 51-year-old Gerald Montgomery...
Oklahoma Ridesharing Bill Passes Senate Without Discrimination Protections
Apr 17 2015 // A bill that sets up a regulatory framework in Oklahoma for ridesharing programs such as Uber and Lyft passed the state Senate, but not before a provision protecting gay and transgender passengers from discrimination was...
Rideshare Service Bill Hailed by Maryland Lawmakers
Apr 16 2015 // An eleventh-hour bill in Maryland addressing the regulation of rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft is being hailed by stakeholders on both sides of the meter. In the waning hours of the Maryland legislative session on...
Video Ads Next Big Thing in Ridesharing?
Apr 14 2015 // James Bellefeuille is an Uber driver for a living, though he admits that what he earns is not much to live on. Yet in the new sharing economy, there’s hope for people like Bellefeuille who can bring some innovation...
Uber Close to Return in Oregon City With Regulations
Apr 10 2015 // Months after suspending operations in Portland, Uber is on the verge of the returning to the city and operating under regulations. The city’s Private For-Hire Innovation Task Force released details this week of a...
Texas Takes Up Comprehensive Ridesharing Bill
Apr 10 2015 // Ridesharing giants Lyft and Uber left San Antonio in their rearview mirror after the nation’s seventh largest city restricted their operations, instead shifting their focus — and money — on convincing Texas...
Business Travelers Driving Uber Growth
Apr 9 2015 // Business travelers are bypassing the taxi queue with greater frequency, choosing instead ride-hailing services like Uber Technologies. A new report by expense management system provider Certify shows that 47 percent of the...
Colorado Prosecutors Charge Uber Driver Accused Of Attempted Break-In
Apr 8 2015 // Prosecutors have charged a Colorado Uber driver accused of trying to break into the home of a woman he drove to the airport. The Denver District Attorney’s Office announced Monday that 51-year-old Gerald Montgomery...
Uber Urges Kansas Governor to Veto Bill Raising Insurance Costs
Apr 7 2015 // Ride-hailing company Uber says it will be forced to pull out of Kansas if the governor signs a bill increasing regulations on its drivers. The dispute over the bill, which passed both chambers on April 2, has grown...
Uber Seeks Dismissal of Lawsuit In Alleged Delhi Rape
Apr 7 2015 // Uber asked a U.S. court to dismiss a lawsuit filed by an alleged rape victim in India’s capital, saying the ridesharing company could not be held legally responsible for the driver’s acts. The passenger, who...
Rules Drive Uber Ridesharing Service Out Of Oregon City
Apr 6 2015 // Easter Sunday marked the end of Uber in Eugene, Ore. at least for now. The Register-Guard newspaper reported Saturday that a hearings official imposed a civil penalty of $1,500 a day on the ridesharing company after...