Pennsylvania Legislature Formally Recognizes Uber’s Right to Operate in Philadelphia

Yesterday, the Pennsylvania Legislature listened to the voices of hundreds of thousands of Uber riders and driver-partners in Philadelphia by passing legislation formally recognizing Uber’s right to operate in Philadelphia County—following the same guidelines that the rest of Pennsylvania has enjoyed for the past year and a half.

We thank the Legislature for affirming what Philadelphians already know—that by providing access to safe, affordable rides and flexible work opportunities for hundreds of thousands of people, Uber makes Philadelphia a better place to live and visit. And we’re encouraged that lawmakers confirmed that what works for the rest of Pennsylvania also works for Philadelphia.

What does the legislation do?

The legislation allows Uber’s driver-partners to offer rides without impediment to help ease transportation challenges in Philadelphia this summer, including during the Democratic National Convention. The legislation also means that Uber can find new ways to collaborate with the City of Philadelphia in the future.

There’s still more to be done:

Our work is not done. This temporary authorization will expire on September 30, 2016 unless Harrisburg takes action to finalize pending legislation. We look forward to working with the General Assembly in the fall to pass comprehensive ridesharing legislation, ensuring that Philadelphia has access to options like uberX and uberPOOL for the long term and providing the certainty needed for Uber to extend the benefits of ridesharing to all Pennsylvanians.