TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - A Tampa-area authority wouldn’t be able to set minimum wait times and prices for limousine services under a bill a House committee approved.
That would pave the way for the Uber car service to begin operating in the Tampa area. The House Economic Affairs approved the bill 9-8 Friday.
Uber uses a smartphone app to hookup paid drivers with customers looking for a ride. Taxi and traditional limousine companies oppose the bill.
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Unlike most Florida counties, taxi and limousine rates and rules are set by the independent Public Transportation Commission in Hillsborough County - called a special district.
The bill specifically prohibits special districts from setting minimum wait times and rates. In Tampa, limousine drivers have to charge at least $50 and wait an hour before picking up passengers.
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