Enova Network and Tappxi Florida, Broward Licensed TNCs, present County Commissioners with proposal allowing UBER to start operating immediately

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Aug 28, 2015, 05:00 ET

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Aug. 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Enova Network and Tappxi Florida, the two companies with Broward County TNC licenses thus far, prepared proposals for County commissioners, one of them even allowing Uber, or any other technology company, to start operating in the County immediately.

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The following are the details of both proposals.

PROPOSAL A

Enova Network and Tappxi Florida are requesting feedback from County Commissioners to articulate their concerns regarding the current Broward licensed Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) ability to provide Broward residents with On-Demand car service with minimum wait times in light of the following:

Both Enova Network and Tappxi Florida have pledged to provide 500 drivers each within first 90 days of Operations.
Both Enova Network and Tappxi Florida have pledged to share their drivers in order to increase bandwidth and minimize wait times to achieve 95-8 service levels (95% of ride requests with 8 minutes or less wait time) within the first 180 days of operations.
Both Enova Network and Tappxi Florida technology platforms allow their passengers to rate their drivers so that the system will remove poorly rated drivers.
Payment is cashless, closest driver is automatically connected to passenger, passenger can track driver on the map, driver's pic, name and vehicle info are made available to passenger, receipt is emailed to client in real time, etc.
All vehicles are Commercially Insured, all drivers Finger Print Background checked, every run to/from FLL or Port Everglades will result on a pass through fee (Uber owes over $400,000.00 in unpaid airport fees to Fort Lauderdale Airport, according to minutes from the County Commissioners meeting that took place in 08-11-15).
Every single run performed within the boundaries of the current ordinance ensuring public safety, transparency and a reliable On-Demand car service to the County.
Both Enova Network and Tappxi Florida are tenured players in the vehicle for hire (VHF) industry in South Florida, ready to leverage their knowledge and expertise.

PROPOSAL B

Let's agree that Uber is an excellent, easy to use, well designed app, not a transportation company. Let's agree that Enova Network and Tappxi Florida, are licensed TNCs (Transportation Network Companies) in Broward County. Let's agree that the drivers, who are licensed through Enova Network and Tappxi Florida, can receive "leads", their work, from any app based product of their choice without sacrificing public safety. Why can't Uber, Lyft, Sidecar and any other "technology" companies operate in Broward County using Enova Network and Tappxi Florida, and any other TNC companies' drivers? This would eliminate the issue that drivers are Uber employees, all airport and port fees would be paid, and consumers would be protected. Drivers would also be able to secure work from the app of their choice and would have more long term opportunities and reduced risk from only receiving work from one app based source such as Uber, which has a history of changing pay structure at any moment.
What Broward County Commissioners have done is to create a means for drivers to operate legally (insured and background checked and cars inspected). Who the driver receives the work from, via an app, is irrelevant. Uber, Lyft, Sidecar, Enova Network and Tappxi Florida, or any other app that consumers choose should result in them receiving a licensed, insured, safe driver and vehicle.
If we all agree that the consumer's safety should not be compromised when paying for transportation, then all drivers must fall under the same rules. This would include, but not be limited to: taxis, limos, buses, trains, planes, water taxis, shuttles, courtesy vehicles. The means and manner by which the consumer chooses to secure the transportation should not impact the level of safety that the industry provides.
We commend the excellent job and hard work that went in to developing the TNC ordinance to ensure public safety. It is not difficult to operate under the guidelines of the ordinance, however it does require "boots on the ground" so to speak and a local presence which Uber and other apps do not have nor wish to establish.
No changes to the current TNC ordinance are necessary. All Uber and other based apps have to do is require that in order for a driver to download their app and receive work from their clients, the driver must present a notarized certificate from a licensed TNC operating in Broward County. Problem solved and taxpayers' money no longer needed to be spent debating this issue. Any changes to the ordinance to accommodate one company would raise suspicion as to which commissioner is receiving compensation or favors from that company to lead the change.
Uber is taking the approach that they are the only company that can provide an app based platform to request transportation, which we all know is untrue.
Uber's business plan is unsustainable financially speaking. They are losing money currently and do not pay all costs associated with providing chauffeured transportation legally in South Florida. Once they incorporate all costs associated with operating legally in South Florida, which will be passed on to the consumer, their pricing will increase and be more in line with current transportation alternatives. The consumer will eventually choose the transportation that provides best value for money in their mind.
It would have been short sighted to create legislation that accommodates a non-sustainable business plan which also puts current transportation alternatives at risk.
There is no loyalty to apps by consumers. Consumers demand innovation and constant improvements in technology. By Uber claiming to be only an app, they are at risk of becoming obsolete in a short time. They don't own a patent on the service and never will.
Consideration needs to be given to the creation of a TNC Driver fund, just like the Black Car fund in New York State, so that drivers can have Worker's Comp coverage. In other words, not only passengers need to be protected but also we need protect the workforce providing the services that we need.
Uber and any other app can start operating legally today. What is stopping them?