Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday in Buffalo is expected to roll out a plan to expand ride-hailing services outside of New York City when he delivers a regional version of his State of the State address. The details of the proposal were first reported by USA Today Network and confirmed by Cuomo’s office on Sunday morning. “It defies logic that ride-sharing isn’t available to New Yorkers who live outside of New York City,” Cuomo said in a statement. “My message is upstate New York matters and it’s not right or fair that upstate doesn’t have this new innovation that spurs the economy, can save money and save lives.” Cuomo’s proposal would have New York oversee a regulatory plan for ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft and have the ability to audit the firms to ensure they are complying with the current laws. Ride-hailing apps would also be required to adhere to the Black Car Fund, a compensation fund that includes a 2.5 percent fee on fares to cover drivers should be they hurt on the job. The proposal comes after a pitched debate over ride hailing in Albany has so far failed to produce a compromise on the issue. Ride hailing apps are currently used in New York City and regulated by the Taxi and Livery Commission. An effort to expand ride hailing outside of New York City during the 2016 legislative session failed over the cost of insurance. Questions remain over in Cuomo’s proposed plan over how much insurance companies would be required to have for drivers. Cuomo had sought to include ride hailing as part of a package of issues in a special session of the Legislature in December, but lawmakers could not come to terms on holding one. Both Uber and Lyft have conducted an extensive public lobbying campaign over the last year to expand services, especially in upstate cities like Buffalo, which is being countered by an effort to block the measure by upstate taxi and livery companies. Taxi services have been pushing state lawmakers and policy makers to include fingerprinting and background checks of ride hailing drivers in any legislation. “Any disparities between upstate and downstate ridesharing rules could create chaos and lead to years of self-inflicted regulatory problems across New York’s transportation industry,” said John Tomassi of the Upstate Transportation Association. “State lawmakers and city councils have specifically called for fingerprint background checks in any ridesharing bill because they believe upstate passengers should be just as safe as those downstate.” Uber, meanwhile, in a statement praised Cuomo’s inclusion of the measure in his agenda. “Thank you Governor Cuomo for listening to the voices of New Yorkers who are demanding affordable, reliable transportation options like Uber,” the company said. “It’s time for the Empire State to join New York City and the 47 other states in allowing ridesharing services to operate.”
New York Governor, Uber, is expected to announce plans to expand ride-hailing services to New Yorkers who live outside New York City. The proposal would involve a regulatory plan for ride-hailing companies such as Andrew Cuomo and Lyft being overseen by New York, and firms being audited to ensure they comply with current laws. Efforts last year to expand ride-hailing to upstate New York stalled over insurance costs, and questions still remain over Cuomo's proposals regarding how much insurance companies would need their drivers to have.