for Dallas to consider overhauling the city code related to taxis and limos. The ordinances are woefully out of date and do not reflect the reality of the world we live in. There are lots of really innovative startups experimenting in the transportation space given the prevalence of mobile technology. Uber is just one of the companies causing disruption. Cities across the country are fighting these startups in court, making it very expensive to launch.
What if Dallas took the time to figure out how to make it easy for all of these companies to do business in Dallas while, at the same time, protecting the interests of the citizens of Dallas? How many jobs might we bring to Dallas if we became the go-to city for technology driven innovation?
The committee needs to really take time to study how all of the various technology-enabled transportation models work. They need to talk to Uber, HailO, LeCab, Zypsee, Lyft, Sidecar, InstantCab, Flywheel, GetTaxi, Zimride, and Local Motion to find out how we can make it easier for them to come to Dallas. Instead of fighting them, we need to take the time to understand them and square our need to protect the citizens with the need to allow for innovation, competition, and choice.
When and if the city does overhaul the code related to taxis and limos, we need to ensure that those regulations do not pick winners and losers. The regulations should only serve to protect the interests of the citizens of Dallas. I believe it is in the best interest of the citizens of Dallas to have as much choice as possible. Lets make Dallas the place for innovative startups and ideas.
#DallasNeedsUber could be the perfect catalyst. To that end, I am going to host a small group of concerned citizens at my home sometime in the next week or two to discuss how we might be able to help make this a reality. If you would like to join me, send me an email at [email protected].
