Lyft and Kansas City may reunite thanks to new ride-sharing law
April 27, 2017 | Bobby Burch
Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens on Monday signed legislation that could bring the ride-sharing company Lyft back to the Kansas City market.
Passed with strong support from Missouri lawmakers, Gov. Greitens’ signature sets forth regulations for ride-sharing companies such as Uber and Lyft, including licensing fees, background checks and inspections.
Lyft halted its Kansas City operations in October of 2014 after the city established for-hire transportation regulations it deemed as too burdensome. In 2015 the company said it wouldn’t return to Kansas City, while Uber agreed to work within the new regulatory framework. Uber and Lyft issued statements saying the new law — which also exempts ride-sharing companies from local and municipal taxes — will allow them to expand throughout Missouri.
The law should help create a more competitive environment for ride-sharing firms in Kansas City, Mo. and create more jobs around the state. Lyft is now in operation in Kansas City, Kan. and Johnson County.
The Kansas City Star reports that the new law will spur most area taxis to operate like Uber and Lyft vehicles. Bill George — the CEO of Kansas City Transportation Group, which operates hundreds of taxis in the area — said that cabs operating under Yellow Cab and 10/10 Taxi will be shifted to zTrip, a “transportation network company” or TNC. TNCs fall under the same state licensing rules as Uber and Lyft.
2017 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
ebbie navigates journey from established insurance industry to tech startup mode
Olathe-based ebbie is injecting innovation into the risk-averse insurance industry, said Brian Hess. “We looked for spaces where we could come in and say, ‘We can make this a lot better,’” said Hess, operations officer at ebbie. “Fast forward to now, and we went through the development phase and the build, and we have successfully…
KCultivator Q&A: Edgar Palacios talks Latinx representation, his ballsy inspiration
Editor’s note: KCultivators is a lighthearted profile series to highlight people who are meaningfully enriching Kansas City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The KCultivator Series is sponsored by WeWork Corrigan Station, a modern twist on Kansas City office space. Proportionate cultural and ethnic representation can be life-altering for young people — especially in the classroom, said Edgar Palacios.…
More than a Fountain City vacation: SavR bringing US headquarters to Kansas City
Kansas City’s startup culture and support network helped the City of Fountains land the new U.S. headquarters of Australia-based SavR, said founder Tim O’Shea. “If you’re a company that’s trying to strive for genuine outcome, then you’ll be very well received [in Kansas City],” he said. “I think Midwestern people tend to ferret out the…
App to help flex Disabled But Not Really reach beyond KC gyms, says Wesley Hamilton
A new fitness and wellness app is expected to help Disabled But Not Really go global with its impact, said Wesley Hamilton. “This app is going to benefit those that cannot go through our program but are still determined to learn and change their physical well being,” said Hamilton, founder and executive director of the…