BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A group of Alabamians is hosting a rally Friday in hopes of showing Birmingham City Councilors just how much support there is for app-based ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft in the Magic City.
The event’s organizer, Leigh LaChine of the Alabama Libertarian Party, says that though the lack of transportation options in Birmingham has been a problem for a while, the issue was recently highlighted by Sloss Fest, when thousands of visitors to the state’s largest city found themselves stranded in downtown Birmingham with no way to get back to their hotels.
“We want for Uber and Lyft to be able to compete in the free and open marketplace, and for the citizens of the Magic City to be able to choose for themselves which forms of public transportation they will use,” LaChine told Yellowhammer Thursday afternoon.
LaChine said that there is an opportunity for a ballot initiative in Birmingham to force the City Council’s hand, but the number of signatures needed on a petition calling for the vote is quite high—10 percent of the number of voters in the last election.
Samford University’s Economist Art Carden is slated to speak at the rally. In an op-ed for AL.com last week Dr. Carden said, “Resistance to innovation hurts the Birmingham brand. The city’s refusal to accommodate ride-sharing innovators is sending prospective visitors and residents the message that they cannot expect the same amenities they take for granted in other cities.”
Though Alabama’s largest city has been hesitant to embrace the new service, Mobile and Huntsville have recently found success in working with the companies to establish regulations that work for all parties involved.
“We listened to our citizens and found there was overwhelming support for this type of business in our community,” Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson told Yellowhammer in June. “We then reached out to key stakeholder groups including our taxi cab operators. Because we took a proactive approach with Uber, we were able to fashion an agreement that both protects our citizens from harm and delivers a reliable, affordable service.”
One of the many explanations used by those against the service is that Uber drivers are often private citizens who provide the service on a part-time basis, questioning the safety of these semi-professional drivers.
Mayor Stimpson and other city leaders say they preempted those concerns by working to establish common-sense but non cost-prohibitive regulations on Uber drivers, including detailed vehicle inspections, background checks, and a $500 business permit with the city.
The “Rally to bring Uber and Lyft to Birmingham” will take place Friday at 11 a.m. in front of city hall. To learn more about the event, visit their Facebook page.
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— Elizabeth BeShears (@LizEBeesh) January 21, 2015
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