Kansas City and Uber have come to terms on regulations for the ride-hiring network and its drivers.
The compromise ordinance was unveiled at the council business session Thursday and passed shortly after 5 p.m. It replaces one passed two weeks ago that prompted Uber to say it was being forced out of Kansas City.
The city agreed to drop the permit fee for individual drivers for companies willing to pay a $45,000 annual blanket fee.
“The reasons for us doing that – something that we needed to discuss was – the need or the want to eliminate the barrier for the driver coming in,” Principal negotiator for the city Mayor Pro Tem Cindy Circo explained.
In return, Uber agreed to provide driver background checks and meet more substantial liability insurance requirements.
The ordinance also applies to conventional taxi companies and their drivers. The taxi industry and the Lyft ride-hiring service were also included in the negotiations that produced the revised ordinance.
