The next time you get in an Uber, you will be riding in a vehicle officially licensed under Pennsylvania law.
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission voted 5-0 on Thursday to grant a permanent license to the San Francisco ride-hailing company that has given thousands of rides in Pennsylvania cities since early 2014.
The commission took up the licensing process quickly, following the legalization of ride-hailing services provided by so-called transportation network companies, or TNCs, in November. Uber had been operating under a temporary, experimental license that was set to expire in three days.
Rival companies Lyft and zTrip, which continue to operate under temporary licenses, are each seeking commission approval of a permanent license. Both of their licenses expire later this year.
“Clearly this is a great milestone,” Commissioner Robert F. Powelson said before the unanimous vote on Thursday. “In a very short period, TNCs have revolutionized the nation’s transportation industry.”
He added that “consumers have benefited greatly” and the commission’s regulations “should leave consumers feeling protected when they are riding in a TNC vehicle.”
The license mostly puts an end to a tumultuous three-year relationship between the company and the commission, which penalized Uber $11.4 million last year for operating illegally when the ride-hailing company first launched.
Uber is challenging that fine in Commonwealth Court, in part by using a section of the law passed in November that limits PUC’s authority to penalize ride-hailing companies.
Daniel Moore: dmoore@post-gazette.com, 412-263-2743 and Twitter @PGdanielmoore.
First Published: January 26, 2017, 4:18 p.m.