Medford, Ore. — Medford’s City Council is continuing to explore whether to allow ride sharing companies like Uber and Lyft into the area. Now, they’re inviting the public to weigh in.
In order to allow Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) in the city, Medford will have to change its taxi ordinance.
The council has already revealed some of those changes. Among them, the city would no longer perform background checks on drivers. That would be shifted to companies.
According to the City of Medford, proposed amendments to city code would require taxi companies and TNCs drivers to have identical background check requirements.
Some local cab drivers say the whole idea needs to be scrapped.
“By allowing Uber and Lyft in here, you’re going to degrade the quality of service that the taxi operators provide now, you’re going to take money out of our pockets that we’ve worked so hard to build our businesses too, and you’re going to see a great lot of that money leave the area,” James Cox said, the owner of Southern Oregon Five Star Taxi.
A public hearing to discuss the proposed ordinance changes will be held at 7:00 p.m. on August 17 inside the Medford City Hall Council Chambers.
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