Pasco OKs Uber, Lyft. But you still can’t get a ride

Uber in Pasco is like the Christmas gift that’s been sitting in your online shopping cart for days — just waiting on paper to complete the transaction.

One week after Pasco voted to drop its fingerprint requirement for certain car service drivers, the San Francisco company has yet to submit official paperwork to the city.

Pasco’s new ordinance takes effect this Friday.

Uber has expressed interest in operating in Pasco, just like it does in the rest of the Tri-Cities, and was sent a formal application for a master business license.

Lyft has yet to start operating in the Tri-Cities.

A public policy manager sent Pasco an email Dec. 4 saying fingerprinting “is an unnecessary, additional barrier” to a national criminal and driving background check for part-time drivers wanting to earn a supplemental income.

The letter expressed support for the change, adding that current requirements are burdensome and “would make it very difficult to drive with Lyft if implemented in all three of the Tri-Cities.”

As of Monday, no transportation network companies had started the process with Pasco, including Uber and Lyft.

Typically it takes three weeks from application to approval. That means Pasco Uber users would remain blocked into the new year if the company submits its application later this week.

However, city officials are prepared to expedite the master license giving more options for loved ones flying into the Tri-Cities Airport for Christmas and Pasco residents heading out to holiday parties.

Drivers who work for Uber cannot submit their own “driver for hire” license application to the city until Uber’s license is processed.

The individual license will be required for everyone who wants to pick up a passenger in Pasco. It costs $40, is good for one year and can only be issued to people who are at least 21 and have a valid Washington state driver’s license, proof of insurance and a Unified Business Identifier number from the state.

Pasco’s Business Licensing office can answer questions at 509-545-3402.

The welcome mat is being laid out for all transportation network companies — also known as internet- or smartphone-based car services — after nearly a year of back and forth with Pasco.

Uber’s independent drivers have been serving Kennewick since December 2016, and Richland and West Richland since earlier this year.

Pasco City Council members seemed to be on board with adopting updated rules in the city’s municipal code until staff made some changes to address concerns, including adding the fingerprint requirement for all for-hire drivers.

The requirement already had been in place for 20 years for taxicab drivers in Pasco.

The other cities did not include the fingerprint clause in their ordinances dealing with Uber drivers.

Eventually, Pasco council members voted 4-3 on the fingerprint requirement as part of a background check.

That was a deal-breaker for the company, so for nine months drivers have been able to take passengers into Pasco but could not pick them up within the city limits.

Councilman Al Yenney, who previously was in favor of prints, asked for the board to re-address it last month after receiving a large number of complaints from residents and business people about the Uber void.

The council voted again Dec. 4 and this time decided to remove the fingerprint requirement for transportation network company drivers, but leave it in place for ride-hailing services like taxis.

The majority in the 5-2 vote said the difference is that smartphone app users know ahead what their driver looks like and what vehicle they are driving, while people who flag down a taxi know nothing about the driver until they get into the car.

Mayor Matt Watkins and Mayor Pro Tem Rebecca Francik remained firm against the change.

Uber driver David McClain told council members that to his knowledge there have been no Uber-related crimes or accusations locally in the past year. Instead, he pointed out the good done by some drivers.

“More than once our drivers have been called to a pick-up to find a woman trying to escape a situation where they had been threatened or feared physical abuse,” he said. “Should those women have called the police? Maybe, but they didn’t, and we were there to help them. Please don’t inhibit the people’s freedom to choose for themselves who to get a ride from.”

Francik pointed out that if any other company with a problematic track record like Uber’s came to the city, they would not be welcomed. But in this case it appears pushing hard enough, no matter the company’s safety protocols, has resulted in some council members rolling over, she said.

“I think our protection of the public is really important,” Francik said. “The public assumes that if (the drivers) are operating in our city, we have vetted them somewhat.”

Councilmen Chi Flores and Al Yenney responded that they were not being bullied by Uber, they’re just doing what the citizens want.

Watkins called Uber a bad company and said he is not trustful of transportation network companies until they can demonstrate a commitment to safety.

“On a personal note, I wish Uber well and hope that they are able to improve their stake in the world and things are successful in Pasco and in the Tri-Cities,” he said.

This story was originally published December 11, 2017 at 6:47 PM with the headline "Pasco OKs Uber, Lyft. But you still can’t get a ride."