As a newly hired part-time driver for Lyft, Brandon Stirpe isn’t just carrying passengers in his silver 2012 Kia Forte. He’s also helping to drive a conversation in Pittsburgh about the city’s cab service — and the legality of ride-sharing services.
Public officials are weighing how to proceed — on Grant Street, in Harrisburg, and even out at the Pittsburgh International Airport.
“We are Pittsburghers and Pittsburgh needs ride-sharing,” says the 26-year-old Stirpe, who earned a master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh in December.
His sentiment is shared by 42-year-old Uber driver Marc Stern: “I’m not in the business to put anyone out of business, but the Yellow Cab system is broken.”
Lyft and Uber are alternative cab services, in which drivers transport passengers using their own vehicles. Drivers are linked to passengers through smartphone apps, and the fare is charged to the passenger’s credit card.
Since arriving in early February, the services have drawn raves from riders — but also the ire of traditional Pittsburgh taxi companies, and legal threats from the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission. They’ve also won a ringing endorsement from Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto.
Pittsburgh’s established companies have urged Peduto to authorize city police to cite Lyft and Uber drivers. But at a Feb. 18 press conference, Peduto told reporters ,”I’m not going to be bullied. I’m not going to send Pittsburgh police officers [to] chase cars with pink mustaches on them.”
Enforcement of taxi regulation can be conducted by the PUC without local police; agency spokesperson Jennifer Kocher says it issued 14 complaints for unlicensed cabs in the city last year. But although Lyft and Uber have been operating in Pittsburgh for two weeks, the agency has not cited any of their drivers.
The agency engaged in some saber-rattling early on, threatening drivers with possible citations, and it seems wary of the way ride-sharing companies began operating without seeking government approval first. Still, the PUC has also professed a willingness to adapt to the way ride-sharing companies are changing the market.
“Any party at any time can petition the commission for a rule change or a waiver. No one has done that at this time,” Kocher says.
“We’ve been encouraging [the ride-sharing companies] to come in to meet with us and we would work with them,” Kocher adds. “They have never presented anything to us as far as business models or a reason why they should be allowed to run. They just say, ‘We’re operating.'”
Lyft spokesperson Erin Simpson says the company looks forward to working with regulators, but hasn’t filed paperwork with the agency because, “They regulate taxis and limos. We are a peer-to-peer transportation provider.”
Peduto, meanwhile, is urging the PUC to rework its regulations … and says that if it won’t do so, he’ll ask the state legislature to rewrite the rules. In a letter, Peduto urged the PUC to “create a new regulatory category” that would bring ride-sharing drivers “under a common-sense regulatory regime.” That would include background checks, liability insurance, and vehicle inspection, Peduto wrote.
“We welcome the mayor’s suggestions,” Kocher says.
Lyft driver Shannon Williams says that while she was not aware of the PUC threats until after she started driving, she’s optimistic that things will work out.
“Lyft told us that they had a similar issue in California,” Williams says: That state’s Public Utility Commission agreed last year to permit the companies to operate, backing away from earlier opposition. “It would be unfortunate if [Pennsylvania regulators] cited us. It would do the city a disservice.”
Even with the PUC expressing a willingness to adapt, ride-sharing might still encounter roadblocks out at Pittsburgh International Airport.
Uber’s coverage map includes the airport; on its Twitter account and website, the company has quoted average prices from Downtown to the airport ranging from $22-28. Stern says he took a couple of trips to the airport in his first week as a driver.
As for Lyft, its coverage area extends only as far west as Carnegie, but Stirpe says once a driver picks up a passenger within that area, he or she can travel as far as 60 miles beyond it.
“We could take you to the airport, but we could not pick you up there,” he says.
But JoAnn Jenny, a spokesperson for the county’s Airport Authority, says neither company has applied for a necessary permit. “Non-permitted operators” face citations from county police, she says.
“Applicable law and regulations require that commercial ground-transportation providers, including any person who picks up or drops off passengers at Pittsburgh International Airport for a fee, have sufficient liability insurance and proper licenses, and that they secure a permit from the Allegheny County Airport Authority,” Jenny says.
Christopher Kearns, Allegheny County Police Inspector at the airport, says the department is aware of the ride-sharing services. County police will enforce any violation they see, he says — including not having the proper permit to pick up at the airport, or dropping off a fare at the non-commercial curb.
“If it is an unmarked car, it is difficult to say if they are operating commercially,” Kearns says. “We haven’t seen a pink mustache at the airport yet.” Kearns says that the insignia on the front bumper would give the police the right to stop a vehicle picking up or dropping off a passenger.
(A spokesperson for Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, a Peduto ally, declined to address the issue. “As it is the Airport Authority, rather than the Executive, that will need to respond to any issues, we’ll defer to them,” wrote Amie Downs in an email.)
Lyft or Uber drivers wouldn’t be the first to receive a citation for serving the airport. J.B. Taxi Service, out of Beaver, has been cited a few times by county police when drivers dropped off at the airport without a permit to do so.
“We’ve been cited by the county police. We thought we could drop off, but they told us we could not be there without a permit,” says owner Roxanne Szczepanski.
Elsewhere, at least one airport has taken action against ride-sharing services independently, despite moves made by other regulators. Although California’s PUC now permits ride-sharing, Uber terminated its pick-up service at Los Angeles’ LAX airport last month, complaining that “authorities have taken an aggressive stance [by] issuing citations to some drivers.” (Drivers in L.A. are allowed to drop off passengers, however.)
As in other markets where the companies began operating first and then dealt with regulatory questions, the services seem to be thriving.
Neither Lyft or Uber will release figures on the number of drivers they have signed up in Pittsburgh. But Lyft’s app showed that the service was operating with its version of surge pricing — charging more during its busiest times — most days last week.
Stern says Uber is guaranteeing him a $15 base hourly rate now. Stirpe, however, says Lyft is not paying drivers a set rate to begin, and “the actual dollar amount is something Lyft doesn’t like us to disclose.”
Drivers describe a similar application process at both companies. Stirpe, for example, says he applied online, and was asked to come to a group interview. Lyft officials checked his insurance status and took his Social Security number for a background check, though he was not fingerprinted — a frequent step in a background check. He says his car was given a brief safety check: seatbelts, turn signals, lights, tires and even an external check for scratches and dings.
“When I heard back,” Stirpe says, “I was told that I was a driver and was invited to the staff launch party.”
He and the other drivers say their customers — most of whom are either Pitt or CMU students, they say — have been enthusiastic.
“People are excited,” says Stern. “Most have used Uber in other cities, and are happy it’s now in Pittsburgh.”
Lyft driver Shannon Williams says she loves having fun while making extra money. On Valentine’s Day, she says, “I gave out hearts and candy and little pink mustaches to my passengers. It was completely different than a taxi or other car service. It was great.”
This article appears in Feb 26 – Mar 4, 2014.
So driving a gypsy cab and have a Master Degree…..it sounds like a lot of money wasted to end up driving in a illegal company. You should be ashamed of taking consumers for a ride without proper insurance. If you think you had a tough life until now, wait for the first accident and the attorneys will eat you up.
How is your cab business going Larry?
The taxi companies’ argument is hilarious. They won’t lose any business because they either don’t show up when called or if they do it’s 2 hours later. The only business they’ll lose POSSIBLY are the airport runs cause that’s about all they do now.
When I drove a cab some years ago I remember being told that in case of an accident cab drivers were held to a higher liability standard as “professional drivers” than an ordinary driver. The example given was that we were expected to notice on coming to an intersection that a car coming the other way was travelling to fast to stop, and that even if we had the right of way the company would be liable in a crash. I wonder if the companies insuring these drivers are aware of their increased liability.
Mr. Larry Ionescu (if this is indeed you, of course)…you threw out the bait and as much as I know I shouldn’t, I’m biting. I do ask that you take the time to read this from beginning to end; I know it’s a lot but I took the time to read your post.
For those of you who don’t know him, he’s one of the men who who contributed to the recent Chicago taxi buzz when a taxi driver hit a pedestrian and fled the scene (you can make your own conclusions, though–video’s below).
You were quoted as saying, “Drivers are assaulted every other week and I have countless recordings of hit-and-runs,” and that, “”He (the driver) basically could’ve been assaulted right there. He had no idea he was basically being followed.”
(link here http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20140130/downtown/dash-cam-catches-pedestrian-chasing-cab-he-says-hit-him-company-fires-back).
With all that being said and with the aforementioned article being referenced, I’m going to go ahead and assume you are unbiased in this debate.
So let’s move on.
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Brandon Stirpe (the Lyft driver featured in the article above). I am, in fact, a recent graduate from the University of Pittsburgh like you mentioned above; however, the rest of the information you have provided about me is indeed, false. Let’s start from the beginning…
“So driving a gypsy cab…”
This word ‘gypsy’. I don’t think it means what you think it means. We’re going to go ahead and break it down together. According to Webster himself, the term ‘gypsy’ refers to “a member of a traveling people with dark skin and hair who speak Romany and traditionally live by seasonal work, itinerant trade, and fortune-telling. Gypsies are now found mostly in Europe, parts of North Africa, and North America, but are believed to have originated in South Asia.”
While I’d like to be able to tell fortunes, I don’t think this definition fits the bill. Also, in a world of political correctness, I’m going to safely assume you aren’t labeling us all as having “dark skin and hair who speak Romany,” because that would be rude. You will argue that I am involved in an, “itinerant trade” (which is defined as, “working for a short time in various places, a casual worker”). Yes, I do indeed hold a casual, part-time position. But like many other Americans who have a ‘trade’, I receive a 1099–unfortunately, I’m a gypsy with an address so the tax man knows where to find me.
(This is neither here nor there but the second definition for ‘gypsy’ is “a nomadic or free-spirited person”–I’ve actually been in Pittsburgh the past 7 years and don’t really leave town too much–so to call me nomadic wouldn’t quite fit the bill).
“…and have a Master Degree…”
I am going to assume you do not have a ‘Master Degree’ because if you did, I’m sure you would know when referring to such a degree generically, it would in fact be written as “master’s degree”. However, if you would have completely written out my degree, you would have been partially correct; “Degree” would have been omitted and you would need to write out the specific degree…Here, let me show you: “So driving a gypsy cab and having a Master of Science in Rehabilitation Science and Technology with a focus in Rehabilitation Counseling” <-- this would have been more appropriate, sir (I should note I don't know much about you; maybe you have a degree just aren't familiar with current writing trends). This is my favorite part… “…it sounds like a lot of money wasted to end up driving in a illegal company…” I am again going to assume you do not have a “Master Degree” because if you did, you would know no money has been wasted. Unfortunately, I am apart of a generation that is being squashed by school debt; so, I actually have not spent any money at all. If you must know, I am roughly $125,000 in debt. The interest on that debt? Accrues daily. Some fellow students have it worse, some better–it all sucks. I do not have a choice, sir. I need to work 60-75 hours a week…to survive. Working for “a illegal company,” allows me to maintain a full time job while earning some extra money on the side so, you know, I don’t default on my loans. I encourage you to visit Lyft’s–and Uber’s for that matter–website to learn more about the legitimacy of these companies. “…You should be ashamed of taking consumers for a ride without proper insurance…” I should be ashamed? ASHAMED?! Of what, sir? Rereading the article shows there is no mention of my insurance. If you did your research, and did not assume, there is available ride-sharing insurance. It’s in between personal and commercial. So for you to put all ride-share drivers into one group isn’t very polite. I suggest you do your research before formulating such a strong opinion on a topic. “…If you think you had a tough life until now…” When did I mention I had a tough life? I’m actually quite happy with my life. I just graduated from graduate school, I have a half-page picture in the city paper, my family is happy and healthy, so I literally have no idea where you pulled that from. I am thankful for all I have and who I have and that is something I do not take for granted. “…wait for the first accident and the attorneys will eat you up.” I just saw a guy who got sued for saving someone’s life via CPR but broke the persons ribs. Crazy world we’re living in, but I appreciate the head’s up. In closing, I do not hold a ‘Master Degree’ involving english writing so I may have a few comma’s where there needs to be semi-colons and so on and so forth. What I do have–along with many young adults like myself, is a passion. A passion to stand firm in what we believe, a passion to work with others to innovate and move the country forward in new ways, and a passion to achieve greatness. These optimistic approaches are something that you, your ‘stuck-in-the-past’ thinking, and our extreme school debt will never take away from young adults like us. (I hope you reach this far, Larry. If you do, my personal code is 6LFTK9…feel free to punch it into the ‘payment’ section of your Lyft app before your first ride and the ride will be on us–up to 10 dollars!)
I think it’s hilarious and awesome that in Pittsburgh, the City of Jitneys, there were 14 citations for unlicensed cabs last year. 14! Hundreds, if not thousands, of jitneys all over the city, and 14 times the PUC got involved. Ride-sharing isn’t that different from jitneys or gypsy cabs – it uses more technology (I think) and probably has a different customer base. Also, the Peduto quote about not sending cops to chase cars with pink mustaches is super great.
I was born and raised in Monroeville now living in San Francisco. I’ve been driving for Lyft in SF since September of last year.
Lyft offers a $1 million liability coverage for drivers and passengers. They also just rolled out un/under insured and collision insurance to address the personal insurance concerns of drivers such as myself.
Anyone who would like to learn more about safety measures offered by Lyft can follow this link…
http://blog.lyft.com/post/75739276230/introducing-the-p2p-rideshare-insurance-coalition
As for the Taxi’s…Uber and Lyft will definitely be taking a chunk out of your business. I suggest you focus your efforts on improving your own services instead of opposing ride-sharing companies. Stop refusing credit cards and debit cards, stop passing by fares on the street to pick up the cute girl one block down, START honoring your word for scheduled pickups, and START updating your business model with enhancements such as apps to request taxi rides from.
Right now, ridesharing companies offer a more transparent, accountable, reliable, enjoyable, and convenient service than you (taxis) do. Adapt or die. You don’t want to end up like the Dodo bird…
Lyft, Sidecar and UberX are dumping uninsured cars on the street.
http://blogs.kqed.org/newsfix/2014/01/20/ride-sharing-insurance-lyft-uberx-sidecar/
@Jordan Katz, Lyft’s policy, just like UberX’s, would not cover the circumstances of the San Francisco fatality accident on New Year’s eve where an UberX driver ran over a family killing a six year old and hospitalizing the rest. Uber won’t pay because there was no passenger in the vehicle. The driver’s insurance denied the claim because it was an invalid non-commercial policy – just like yours.
@ClaimsAdjuster that incident is a tragedy and you are right to point out the flaws of this new industry. But if you read the link I included, Lyft does cover us, in the case that our personal will not, up to their maximum. I cannot speak for Uber.
As for the victims in that accident on NYE, ridesharing companies should be on the hook for any incidents that occur such as that. I think these changes will be coming sooner rather than later.
The rideshare industry is a no-brainer. It is a jobs-provider and adds innovation and improvement to a sector that needs both badly. The insurance companies will catch up eventually.
So we have a guy who is a successful graduate degree achieving citizen willing to work TWO jobs to pay off his student loans and by all appearances is bright, thoughtful, and hard working. Then we have Larry who makes outrageous accusations, unfounded claims, and is too lazy to do his research. You pick the winner and the loser. Hint both Larry and Loser start with an L
Since the cabs are so unreliable these companies will take drunks home and we will have less dui’s and fewer casulaties on the highway. Larry one of them might just save your sorry ass, you have some bad karma coming your way
Jim, as an attorney from what I have read they are insured at current expected levels. You are a cab driver, I won’t drive a cab and you don’t give out legal advice,
Brandon I admire your demeanor and your integrity. Why you would be so respectful to Larry is beyond me. He is someone who shoots off his mouth without having any facts. Judging by his cheap suit he rides a bus not a cab, so that explains the bimbo. Wake up and smell the coffee Brandon is more of a straight up guy than you could ever hope to be.
Lyft driver Brandon Stirpe…..you clearly have to much time on your hand. Please produce for the community here a copy of the so called “ride-share insurance”. I would love to see it. As far as the term Gypsy cab please check the definition before making all this trivial statements
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsy_cab
Lastly, I do feel bad, if not for you, for people like you which spend time and money to get an education and end up driving for one of the 3 stooges gypsy cab apps. However your attitude proves that you end up where you belong.
In the end I will restate the fact that you or your customers are not covered in case of an accident unless you carry commercial insurance policy. Be brave…and call your insurance company and ask them ….
Donations? Please people get real!
I just came from Amsterdam where I got a great idea: UBER XXX. No prostitution ! LOVE SHARING for donations only. No pimps ! Direct contact with customers using peer to peer smart phone app. UBER XXX will take only 20% cut instead of usual 50%. Both customers and prostitutes will be objectively rated. Who the f… needs law enforcers and regulators ? And as far as service exchange: it’s my place or your place or may be airbnb ?
Hey Brandon, in this business you can recover your debt much faster then sucking D… for Lyft or Uber.