The San Jose City Council approved a one-year pilot program Tuesday allowing rideshare companies like Lyft and Uber to conduct passenger pick-ups from the Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport. The vote was 7 to 3 with Council Members Chappie Jones, Ash Kalra and Don Rocha dissenting. Council Member Magdalena Carrasco was absent for the vote.
Tuesday’s decision comes as welcome news to Silicon Valley passengers, who have been calling for the service for years. But it was met with tempered enthusiasm from many in the rideshare industry, who said some of its provisions are simply too onerous to comply with.
Under the program, drivers would need to obtain a business license, pay fees, and be subject to vehicle inspections. They must also obtain background checks and submit to fingerprinting requirements.
"State law already requires very strong background checks. We are in compliance with every California law," said David Mack, Lyft's director of public affairs. "No one will apply for San Jose's pilot program, but we'll keep working with the city."
Mayor Sam Liccardo said he was surprised by the criticism, calling fingerprinting “a pretty basic check that most of us have had to comply with.”
With Tuesday’s vote, Mineta San Jose International Airport becomes the second major Bay Area airport to allow rideshare pickups—a move expected to boost city revenue by $630,000 a year. San Francisco International Airport embraced the services last year.
Read more about Tuesday’s vote here.
Image Credit: Flickr User andrei_dimofte, https://flic.kr/p/4q6QXM via (CC BY 2.0)