Uber gets almost-green light to pick up at LAX

The Los Angeles City Council voted today to go ahead with plans to allow ride-share services such as Uber and Lyft to legally pick up fares at LAX. The services could be legal within a few weeks, but there are a some rings of officialdom to jump through first. The companies have to apply for permits and sign contracts with Los Angeles. City Hall wants to know that the Uber and Lyft apps can deliver stats the politicians want, such as how many cars are in the LAX loop at any one time and how many total trips the drivers are taking to the airport. The City Council also asked its lawyer to look into whether the city can require fingerprinting of Uber et al drivers if state regulators do not start requiring the step. Uber claims its screening regime for drivers is better than for taxi drivers, but the company doesn't fingerprint and some prosecutors have expressed alarm about the serious criminal records of some Uber drivers.

Coverage:
LA Times
Curbed LA