Qualitative Analysis of Ride-Hailing Regulations in Major American Cities

Abstract

Ride-hailing services, which are provided by companies such as Uber and Lyft, are increasingly common in many American cities. Several cities are now regulating or considering regulation of these services. However, regulation has not been well documented across jurisdictions, and city planners and policy makers often want to understand what regulations are being put in place in comparable metropolitan areas. Therefore, the objective of this research was to provide a qualitative comparison of the regulations of ride-hailing companies between major American cities. This goal was accomplished through the evaluation of five driver-related and three company-related types of ride-hailing regulations in 15 major American cities. The driver-related regulations included requirements for background checks, driver’s licenses, vehicle registrations, special licenses such as business licenses, and external vehicle displays. The company-related regulations included requirements for the number of ride-hailing vehicles operating in a metropolitan area, providing a list of drivers to the city, and sharing trip data with the city. The results of this qualitative analysis reveal significant variation in the number of driver-related regulations imposed in the cities that were evaluated. Another key finding is that ride-hailing companies may be less likely to operate in cities where fingerprint-based background checks are mandatory. As ride-hailing regulations continue to evolve, this research can help planners and policy makers better understand the current state of local regulations by providing a systematic comparison across major metropolitan areas in the United States.