Proposal to Regulate Uber and Lyft in Braintree on Hold

Photos:

1. Braintree Best Taxi owner Greg Najjar and attorney Jennifer Pinkham speak to the media
2. Uber East Coast GM Meghan Joyce

After voting to issue a cease and desist letter and draft regulations for companies like Uber and Lyft earlier this year, the Braintree Board of License Commissioners is now waiting to see what legislation from the state will look like before making a move to regulate transportation network companies.

Expected to discuss the proposed regulations Tuesday afternoon, the board instead voted 5-0 to table the discussion to a meeting after the state unveils legislation to regulate transportation network companies on Sept. 15.

The decision came at the recommendation of Chairman and Town Clerk James Casey, who said he wanted to see the state legislature’s proposal before acting. In a letter to the board, Mayor Joseph Sullivan also encouraged commissioners to wait for action on the state level.

“While we applaud Chairman Casey’s attempts to try and simplify this complex issue with a focus on CORI checks and adequate insurance coverage for all TNC drivers - we remain concerned about the ability to enforce this type of local regulatory program and the confusion that it may cause with the general public,” the letter said.

The vote was good news to Uber East Coast GM Meghan Joyce, who said her company supports regulation on the state level rather than local ordinances.

“It’s a victory for the people of Braintree. They will continue to have transportation options and job opportunities that ridesharing comprises,” Joyce said.

Braintree Best Taxi owner Greg Najjar however, sharply criticized the decision he says allows transportation network companies to operate without regulation. Najjar and his attorney Jennifer Pinkham accused the commissioners of bowing to political pressure in their tabling of the draft regulations.

“We’re frustrated. We thought they would take these ordinances up today and we feel disappointed that they chose to table,” Pinkham said.

Najjar said that the use of Uber and Lyft has meant a 40 to 45 percent decrease for his business, adding that he could be forced to shut down Braintree Best Taxi by Sept. 1, putting his 40 drivers out of a job.

In May, the commissioners voted 4-1 to issue a cease and desist letter to any driver for a TNC that was found to be out of compliance with the town’s ordinance for hackney vehicles and draft regulations for Uber and Lyft drivers. At a meeting in July, however, Casey said that a letter was never issued, stating he would not send a cease and desist for something he is unsure how to enforce.