People working for Uber are "criminals," according to an Auburn taxi company owner.
Jeff Steiger, owner of KGM Auburn Trax, spoke at the Auburn City Council meeting Tuesday, Nov. 4, saying the popular ride-for-hire service is still operating in Auburn without abiding by the same regulations as other taxis.
"They are out there, and they are growing," Steiger said. "It is a big concern for me as a business owner being able to stay valuable."
When Steiger addressed the council in September about the issues taxi companies had with Uber, City Manager Charles Duggan said Uber would have to follow the same regulations as a traditional taxi company regarding insurance and licenses.
Since then, Steiger said police will give Uber driver's warnings for not abiding by the regulations, but not a ticket because authorities do not have proof Uber is acting as a taxi company.
"They sneak around," Steiger said. "There's no taxi sign, no nothing. No stickers, there's nothing there. They have no taxi licenses."
The small taxi companies are at a disadvantage when Uber does not have to follow the same regulations, Steiger said.
"As a business owner, I don't feel that our elected officials or city should work with people that are criminals, and they truly are," Steiger said. "They don't have their licenses. They really should know that you need to have a business license to work in any community."
In other city council news:
- Kevin Cowper, assistant city manager, gave a presentation on the Renew Opelika Road Project and other future enhancements coming to the area during Committee of the Whole. Cowper said the mission is to revitalize Opelika Road economically and aesthetically.
- Mayor Bill Ham, Jr. said declaring a moratorium for multi-family buildings so the city can conduct a study to see the effect they are having.
"As we continue to expand a number of student dwellings, our vacancies continue to rise," Ham said. "I think we are headed for a lot of vacancies in the future. How we answer those problems, and how we fix it, I think needs to be a community involvement scenario."
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