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Ohio Lawmakers Argue for Statewide Uber Policy

The proposed regulations would require driver background checks, cost determining information and anti-discrimination policies.

(TNS) -- Not even a week after Uber announced a plan to expand its service in Ohio by 10,000 drivers, legislators in the state House made the case for expanded regulation of the popular app-based ride service.

In testimony before a Senate committee on Tuesday, Reps. Mike Duffey, R-Worthington, and Bob Hackett, R-London, argued for Uber to have a statewide regulatory framework similar to that for traditional taxi-cab services.

The regulations, which would include background checks, disclosure of how fees are calculated and anti-discrimination policies, would apply only to transportation network companies such as Uber or Lyft.

Uber already does some of what is in the proposed regulations, such as background checks.

However, the House bill also would address what Hackett described as “gaps in insurance coverage” during an Uber ride.

In testimony, Hackett said that Uber has three phases while a driver is logged into the application: Phase one is when the driver is logged in and waiting for a customer to request a ride; phase two runs from when a request has been made until just before the customer has been picked up; and phase three runs from when a customer is in the car until dropoff or the driver logs out of the application. Hackett said the companies typically provide commercial insurance coverage for phases two and three but not phase one.

“This is a critical gap because it allows (transportation-network company) drivers to potentially drive uninsured while performing a commercial activity,” Hackett said in testimony. “We believe it is imperative to protect Ohioans from avoidable risks while ensuring innovative businesses are able to thrive in Ohio.”

Uber has about 2,500 drivers registered in Columbus and is looking to expand that by 3,000 by the end of the year.

Because laws could differ from city to city, Duffey said state regulations would actually help Uber drivers, who often go to different locations where there is high demand, such as a stadium after a sporting event.

“We want to be a business-friendly state, we want jobs to grow, we want innovation, we want construction, we want these kinds of technologies to come to compete for consumer dollars and to drive prices down and improve quality. But in order to do that, we need to be able to operate in different communities,” Duffey said.

©2015 The Columbus Dispatch (Columbus, Ohio). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.