Matthew Daus, Windels Marx Publish New Report on Ridesharing Applications
The introduction of new transportation technology companies purporting to provide ridesharing services came in the Summer of 2012. Such companies offer smartphone rideshare applications ("app(s)") which provide free online booking for what are termed "ridesharing" services. Passengers request a ride from a private passenger vehicle driven by a non-commercially licensed driver through the app, which then communicates the passenger's location to drivers via GPS. The rideshare apps also communicate to the passenger a suggested fare based on similar rides. Many of these apps also have a rating system that allows for drivers and passengers to rate each other after the trip is completed. A passengers' credit card information is saved within the system of the app so that they may be identified for future trips.
To address potential regulatory issues in this new and growing industry, Windels Marx has published a new report entitled "Ridesharing Applications: Illegal "Hitchhiking-For-Hire" or Sustainable Group Riding?". Authored by Matthew W. Daus, Partner and Chair of the Windels Marx Transportation Practice Group and President of the IATR, with assistance from associate Jasmine Le Veaux, the report serves as a legal and policy primer for ground transportation regulation.
