Uber in Pasco may hinge on key council vote Monday

Pasco residents are one step closer to being able to summon an Uber car to their home, but the sticking point remains fingerprints.

If the Pasco City Council removes the fingerprint requirement for drivers with transportation network companies such as Uber and Lyft, will it do the same for ride-hailing services like taxis?

Council members spent one hour debating their options at the Nov. 27 meeting, with input from city staff, Uber drivers and Pasco citizens and business people.

It returns to the agenda for a vote Monday during the 7 p.m. meeting at City Hall, 525 N. Third Ave.

Councilman Al Yenney proposed the fingerprint ordinance earlier this year and was one of four members to pass it, requiring drivers to get a full background check through the Pasco Police Department.

But Yenney has changed his mind. He had hoped someone else would come in and start up a transportation network company, using a smartphone application, but that didn’t happen.

So now, Yenney is joining ranks with the three council members who want to see Uber operate in Pasco — even if it means basically giving in to Uber and removing the fingerprint requirement.

“I’m a firm believer that we need this,” said Yenney. He noted that many business and pleasure travelers likely arrive at the Tri-Cities Airport and open their Uber app to get a ride, only to discover it won’t work.

Yenney says the city should keep the requirement for taxi drivers only because someone can stand on a curb and flag down a car, not knowing the identity of the driver in advance.

With Uber and other smartphone-based car services, the customer will know ahead what their driver looks like, the vehicle they are driving and can even track their arrival to the pick-up spot.

Yenney said they keep hearing about how dangerous it can be to take an Uber because of rapes, assaults and other crimes reported around the country. Yet, people really aren’t 100 percent safe anymore going to places like school or church, he said.

People need to have a sense of awareness and take care of their own safety when getting in any taxi or Uber, Yenney said.

Uber does not run fingerprints as a part of its background checks, and has made it clear the company will not work with cities that require it.

Councilman Bob Hoffmann said he would support a split system — fingerprints for taxi drivers, not for others — and then customers can make the decision which kind of service they want based on the level of safety.

Councilman Saul Martinez said in his “perfect world,” a cab company would use the fingerprint requirement as a sales pitch to show that they may be the safer option.

But Martinez added that he wants to do whatever it takes to provide the service to community members and business people, and he is OK with eliminating fingerprints overall because is can be viewed as unfair to taxi drivers.

Mayor Matt Watkins and Councilwoman Rebecca Francik said their opinions have not changed and they would vote to the keep the ordinance as is, meaning all drivers have to get a fingerprint check.

Councilman Tom Larsen did not weigh in during the discussion. Councilman Chi Flores, who previously wanted to drop fingerprints, was not at the meeting.

An Uber driver said he agreed with some council members that there are problems with the corporation, but said he is hopeful the new CEO can change things.

The man, who works every Friday and Saturday night, shared his experience with one recent trip to show the importance of having Uber operate throughout the Tri-Cities.

The driver picked up an inebriated group that wanted to go to Pasco. After learning that Uber wouldn’t be able to pick them up later, the group canceled the ride, got out of the Uber car and drove off in their own vehicle, he said.

This story was originally published December 3, 2017 at 5:29 PM with the headline "Uber in Pasco may hinge on key council vote Monday."