UPDATE: Uber and Lyft get a permanent deal to operate in Palm Beach County after 13 months of back and forth discussions. The ordinance passed 5-1, with Commissioner Burdick voting against it. Burdick feels this will compromise public safety by lowering standards.
All companies, including cabs, will no longer be required to get a fingerprint background check. It will be voluntary and indicated on the decal placed in the windshield of the car.
Uber said it can't change its app to indicate if a driver has a fingerprint background check.
If a company agrees to fingerprint checks, there could be financial fee incentives. The Commission still has not voted on the incentives. A vote is expected soon.
Jenn Strathman is reporting live on the Uber meeting. Follow her live tweets below.
EARLIER:
Every step Ozzie Osborne takes, his dog walks with him.
"He and I go almost anywhere we want to go," explained Osborne.
Public transit and Palm Tran Connection were his only options to catch a ride until Uber came along.
"I found them easy, refreshing, and convenient," explained Osborne of Uber.
Getting dropped off right where he needs to go rather than a bus stop with public transit. Palm Tran Connection gets him to the doorstep of where he needs to go, but Osborne said it takes longer.
"A ten minute trip might take an hour and a half one way there because there are wait times with multiple people," explained Osborne.
Getting to the exact location of where he needs to go is important because Osborne is blind. He says Uber is providing more benefits.
"I don't think anyone I got in the car with that I've been afraid of for my safety," Osborne said. "I only had one issue they didn't want to take Sanford my dog everyone else loved him."
Osborne shared his story with Palm Beach County Commissioners. They will decide Tuesday how to regulate the ride-sharing app. Uber currently does its own background checks, but cab companies feel Uber drivers should be fingerprinted like they are.
Osborne said the cost to use Uber is about the same for him, but the cost for taxpayers could add up.
"The less people need Palm Tran Connection, the less money we have to spend," Osborne explained.
Commissioners will vote on a permanent deal for Uber Tuesday. They are expected to offer a financial incentive to drivers or companies who do background checks. A check that cab companies and some Commissioners feel is essential for public safety.
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