New Proposed Ordinance Could Mean Town Licenses for Uber and Lyft Drivers

If you want to drive for Uber and Lyft in Braintree, get ready to potentially abide by a new proposed set of regulations.

Released Thursday, the proposed ordinance will make drivers of transportation network companies obtain a license from the town and a undergo a background check if they want to pick up customers in Braintree.

The license, granted by the Board of License Commissioners, comes with an annual fee of $25 and drivers must undergo a criminal background check.

Drivers must be at least 21 years old, speak English, and has to be a U.S. citizen or authorized to work in the country.

Sex offenders and anyone with at least three traffic violations from three separate stops over the past 18 months will not be issued a license.

Upon receiving approval to drive in Braintree, TNC workers must have a vehicle that has passed a state inspection, only pickup customers through their company’s app, possess a permit from the town, and place an identification sticker on all passenger windows.

Penalties for violation range from $100 for the first, $200 for the second, and $500 for the third.

The new proposed ordinances are a result of a vote in May that saw the board decide to issue a cease and desist letter to any driver for a TNC that was deemed to be out of compliance with the town’s hackney ordinance and create a new policy for Uber and Lyft drivers.

A cease and desist letter has not been issued, however, with Town Clerk James Casey stating that he will not issue something he is now sure how to enforce.

For the draft to become an official ordinance, the board will have to approve them before getting passed by the town council.

The board and all parties involved will have their say at the board’s next meeting on Aug. 4.