TNC Ordinance 12/17 Motion Sheet

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Ann Kitchen
Posts: 294
Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2015 4:04 pm

TNC Ordinance 12/17 Motion Sheet

Post by Ann Kitchen »

When the Austin Police Department reports having received seven complaints of TNC drivers sexually assaulting between April and August 2015, and when experts at SafePlace tell us they have provided exams and support in the past few months for five individuals who reported that they were assaulted by a Lyft or Uber driver, the City takes those reports very seriously. While there is no one thing that will ensure public safety, the least that the City can do is implement the recommended best-practices.

The FBI and the Texas Department of Public Safety agree that fingerprinting is the best way to ensure that the records reviewed belong to the person being checked, with a match accuracy rate of 99.6%. It’s about accurately identifying that a person is who they say they are. “Fingerprint based background checks are the only reliable methodology to positively identify the applicant,” Mike Lesko, Deputy Assistant Director for Texas Department of Public Safety, in charge of Crime Records Services.

We need a wide range of transportation options in Austin in order to resolve the traffic issues in our city, and I believe TNCs are now an important part of Austin’s transportation system. I also strongly believe that it is the Council’s responsibility to ensure that the people of our city are safe when using TNCs.

Austinites should not have to risk sacrificing their safety in order to get a ride home.

The Council does not wish any TNC to leave the Austin community or the drivers that depend on them, but that is a choice for the TNCs themselves to make. I fully expect that a TNC can successfully operate within the standards being proposed and look forward to working cooperatively with TNCs like our newest company – GetMe – which has already committed to support drivers and work with our community towards our goals for best practice public safety measures.

The proposed ordinance, latest version, is attached as well as the summary. The key ordinance provisions:

1. Sets benchmarks that work towards a goal of fingerprinting for all drivers and disincentives for not reaching those goals, set by separate ordinance. [Section 13-2-527(B)]
2. Establishes incentives for companies, drivers, and passengers to fingerprint. [Section 13-2-527(H)]
3. Sets TNC fees and sets an additional fee of 1% for an education fund to be spent for assisting and incenting drivers to become compliant. [Section 13-2-532(B)]

The difference between this proposed ordinance and the one posted last week are primarily (1) the transition period has been clarified with specific compliance benchmarks over the year; (2) the specific incentives and disincentives for compliance are to be clarified and established by separate ordinance in January; (3) the additional fee for the Education Fund to assist with incentives has been added, effective once incentives are set by ordinance.

Motion Sheet #75:
http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 142321.pdf

TNC Ordinance Summary:
http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 142351.pdf


Ann Kitchen
Council Member District 5
512.978.2105
ann.kitchen@austintexas.gov
Ann Kitchen
Council Member District 5