PUC OKs Uber for temporary Pittsburgh area service
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PITTSBURGH (AP) — Uber has become the second ride-sharing company to satisfy insurance, safety and other requirements that give it temporary permission to operate in the Pittsburgh area.
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission last month gave conditional approval for Uber and its competitor, Lyft, to obtain temporary licenses to operate in Allegheny County.
Lyft satisfied those conditions and was granted a 60-day permit to operate on Aug. 14. On Thursday, the PUC said Lyft had complied with the conditions, too.
Both companies are seeking permanent “experimental” licenses. The services need “experimental” approval because they operate differently than taxis and other transportation covered by PUC regulations.
The companies use smartphone apps to dispatch drivers who use their personal vehicles to give people rides. The drivers then share the fares they collect with the companies.