Lyft and Uber are welcome to stay in Pennsylvania, according to legislation signed Friday by Gov. Tom Wolf.
The law makes ridesharing services, like the ones offered by the two companies, legal across the Commonwealth, thereby resolving concerns that the businesses would have to halt service when their experimental licenses from the Public Utility Commission expire in early 2017.
“We want these companies welcome here in the Commonwealth, allowing them to become full partners with the cities and communities where they operate and invest, including Pittsburgh where Uber has headquartered its advanced robotics research,” Wolf said in a news release.
The legislation establishes a regulatory framework for ride-sharing operations in the state and includes several driver and consumer protections, including ensuring insurance coverage and criminal background checks for drivers.
It also resolves questions about the legality of these services in Philadelphia, where their temporary legislative authority had expired. Two-thirds of the state’s revenue from ride-sharing in the city will go toward the local school system under the new law.
In response to the legislation, Uber is expanding its services to the entire state, including several previously unserved counties, starting at 5 p.m. Friday.
“We thank the General Assembly and Gov. Wolf for their efforts in passing this legislation,” said Craig Ewer, Uber’s spokesperson for Pennsylvania, in a news release. “Ridesharing benefits cities, drivers and riders, and we look forward to serving communities across Pennsylvania for years to come.”
Lyft also expressed gratitude for the legislation.
“The passage of a permanent framework for ridesharing increases modern transportation options and economic opportunity across the state,” Lyft spokesperson Sami Naim said in a statement. “It also ensures Philadelphia’s children and their public schools will benefit from additional funding generated from ridesharing revenue.”
