Portland Taxi Drivers Upset With Uber Task Force’s Transparency and Process

Monday, March 30, 2015
Joanna Evoniuk, GoLocalPDX Contributor

Portland taxi drivers say the task force in charge of changing regulations that would allow ride-share companies like Uber to operate in Portland has not been transparent or fairly included the taxi industry.

The lack of openness is frustrating drivers, who like Portland cabbie Jeanette Thibert, say the impact of the task force will be felt throughout the city. 

“If this process really is about what’s best for the citizens of Portland, and not about weeding out regulations that are inconvenient to a select group of corporations, the proposed regulations as they are being drafted now would look different and the process that created them would be different as well,” Thibert said. 

Drivers say they think the Private For Hire Transportation Innovation Task Force could be more transparent. They also protest the task force acts on misinformation and could give drivers more opportunities to speak. 

“It’s a huge deal—there are a lot of people who have a lot to say and are very concerned about the future of the industry, and are not given a chance to speak,” said Darin Campbell, who is the taxi driver representative on the Portland Private for Hire Transportation Board. 

The Innovation Task Force

When Uber announced in December they would be halting operations in Portland until April, Mayor Charlie Hales announced the city would be reviewing its regulations for taxi and private for hire transportation. 

The Private For Hire Transportation Innovation Task Force is formed of 13 community members to hear concerns and input from the industries and public, while crafting new regulations for taxis and ride-share companies. The recommendations will be presented to the Portland City Council, who will make the final decision. 

With the task force in the final stages of deliberations, taxi drivers from around the city are unhappy with the process so far. 

“There’s a disconnection between the task force and members, and a lot is lost by the wayside,” Campbell said.

Portland taxi driver Wynde Dyer said drivers upset with the amount of information made public and how prompt it is updated or provided by the city. 

Bryan Hockaday is the policy advisor to Commissioner Steve Novick, in charge of transportation. He said the task force has a message of transparency since day one, and publishes meeting notes and received communications. 

“All meetings are posted online, along with a schedule,” Hockaday said. “We feel committed to full transparency and that it’s very much a part of the public process.”

Dyer wrote a letter to the entire task force, as well as Commissioners Amanda Fritz, Dan Saltzman, and Nick Fish, voicing concerns for the lack of transparency and inclusion for cabbies. She also said she was approached by a member of the Transportation Fairness Alliance to "lay off the pressure." 

Dyer has been an active public presence at task force meetings, along with posting transcripts from the meetings and requesting communications between the task force members. 

“I will back off the pressure when there is true transparency to this process, when the process becomes truly open to hearing diverse voices, and when the task force begins to consider citizens of Portland who do not have smart phones, credit cards, and perhaps do have wheelchairs or other mobility aids,” Dyer wrote in her letter.

Hockaday said the City has received a public records request from Dyer, and will provide the information as soon as she pays the standard fee. 

Process and Public Opinion

Portland taxi drivers are also concerned about fair representation for their industry. 

“It’s terrible—taxi drivers were given one opportunity in the form of a listening session,” Campbell said. “We begged for a formal presentation just like Uber and the taxi companies got, but we got nothing.” 

Hockaday said he never received a request from drivers for a formal presentation, and a driver forum was decided on after weeks of input from drivers, as the best way for them to communicate. 

Campbell said drivers are concerned the task force are being rushed into making decisions.

“There’s nobody from any transportation industry making decisions in a short time period,” Campbell said. “They aren’t going to grasp any of the problems it will create.” 

Hockaday said the task force was specifically designed to not to have transportation industry representatives, so the members would be impartial and community based. The task force has received a great deal of input from the general public, and taxi drivers, which Hockaday said is appreciated.  The task force hosted a drivers’ forum in February, as well as a community one. 

Portland cabbies say the task force has not always been given correct or indepth information when it comes to the taxi industry. 

A press release from the Transportation Fairness Alliance pointed out a subcommittee of the task force had been mislead as to the percentage of a taxi fleet that is required to be wheelchair accessible.  There was also miscommunication as to fines for occupational insurance policies, according to Kelliann Amico with the TFA. 

Final Recommendations

The task force will present their preliminary recommendations to the City Council on Thursday, April 9. Hockaday said the task force had made great progress during its months of work. 

Uber, who paused their Portland operations to give the city a chance to rework its regulations, said they are pleased with the process so far. 

"We are looking forward to the recommendations the Mayor's Task Force is crafting to ensure that ridesharing is part of Portland's transportation ecosystem in April,” said Uber spokesperson Kate Downen in an email. 

Campbell said he hopes the council will take time to consider the recommendations and avoid jumping to hasty conclusions. Thibert agreed, saying the decisions will greatly impact the riders as well as drivers.

“They are changing the rules, re-crafting our community, and it's critical for us and the community to have that information,” said Thibert. “That’s the point of the transparency.”

 

EDITORS NOTE: This is a revised version of the article, which includes updated statements from Bryan Hockaday concerning the task force. 
An earlier version said the task force did not publish meeting transcripts or communications, and that Dyer had been asked by the Task Force to “lay off pressure.” Both have been corrected in this updated version.