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ride-hailing

Bill Galvano backs statewide ride-sharing legislation

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Senate Majority Leader Bill Galvano will push for ridesharing legislation, saying this week the state needs a “single, unified approach” to the new transportation sector. In a guest editorial in The Bradenton Herald, Galvano said if Florida wants to continue to attract the next generation of innovators, the state “must solidify, through legislation and strategic partnerships, an ecosystem that supports companies defining their own path.” The Bradenton Republican said in the past the state has chosen to “actively engage and…

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Uber raising fares 11% in Tampa Bay

in The Bay and the 'Burg by

The cost of hailing an Uber in the Tampa Bay area are going up, but the ride hailing company said the rates are still lower than they were at the end of 2015. In an email Thursday, Uber said the company is raising rates by 11 percent in Tampa Bay. The move comes just a few months after the company dropped its rates to entice more drivers. The company charged $1.80 per mile when it started in Tampa Bay in…

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Insurance group vows to push for ride-sharing next Session

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The Personal Insurance Federation of Florida said it “laments” insurance regulations for ride-hailing apps not making it past lawmakers in the 2016 Legislative Session. “With Uber, Lyft and other app-based ride-hailing services becoming popular modes of transportation by both residents and visitors to our state, its unfortunate lawmakers could not come to a consensus on something so basic and important as insurance,’’ PIFF executive director Michael Carlson said in a Friday email. The federation was backing a bill by Altamonte…

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Uber delivers to Andy Gardiner thousands of pro-ridesharing petition signatures

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A representative for Uber personally delivered what he said was 32,588 petitions to Senate President Andy Gardiner on Thursday morning, continuing the intensifying fight between Senate leadership and the ride-hailing industry over insurance regulations and the preemption of local ordinances. The two parties are locked in a heated debated over whether the Senate should vote on a House-approved pro-“ridesharing” plan sponsored by Sen. Jeff Brandes, or whether to take up a more modest bill that would settle outstanding sticking points on insurance crafted by Senate…

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Uber says ride-hailing is helping to reduce DUIs

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The ride-hailing firm Uber held a press conference on Monday with two Florida officials to talk about their services are “changing the mindset” of Floridians in terms of how they get home after a night out. Tallahassee Police Chief Michael DeLeo and Miami Gardens Sen. Oscar Braynon joined with Uber Trust and Safety Lead Amanda DeSantis, who presented research Uber conducted which shows a correlation between peak rider times – generally around the closing times of bars and late on weekends – and dangerous times for drivers.…

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Gut check: Legislative Session reaches midpoint

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With the half-way mark of the 60-day 2016 Legislative Session on Wednesday, the theme so far is like a line from a Frankie Valli song: “… so close/And yet so far.” Take the 2016-17 state budget, the only bill lawmakers are required to pass each year. The House came in at $79.9 billion with the Senate proposing $80.9 billion. Sure, that’s only a billion dollars apart, but $1 billion is still a lot of money, even in Tallahassee. Lawmakers are set to…

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Pro-business groups, lawmakers form ridesharing coalition

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Stare business and transportation leaders along with officials pushing comprehensive ride-hailing legislation launched the Floridians for Ridesharing Coalition Tuesday ahead of discussion slated for the Senate Judiciary committee. State Sen. Jeff Brandes and Rep. Matt Gaetz both back legislation in their respective chambers that would regulate the industry through rules on insurance requirements for drivers. Rules governing companies such as Uber and Lyft are ambiguous and leave drivers vulnerable to traffic tickets and being turned away from customers. Insurance experts…

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