Some like Uber, some don’t. When I mean some, I’m talking about whole cities and nations. Now it’s time for the Uber vs Portland face off.
As of yesterday, Friday December 5, 2014, ?Portland, Oregon citizens will be able to use this rideshare app that can give them faster service at a cheaper price. Sounds great, right? ?Well, there is a dilemma: Portland’s local government doesn’t allow ride sharing, and they’re not backing down. The city’s commissioner Steve Novick didn’t hold back his feelings about Uber: “They think they can just come over here and flagrantly violate the law? Apparently, they believe they’re God.” Commissioner Novick is putting taxi drivers on notice too, promising to enforce this law. If caught engaging in ride-sharing, Uber drivers can face fines up to $2,250 or jail time. Despite Portland Mayor Charles Hales and an Uber VP David Plouffe plotting strategy ?on speakerphone, Novick isn’t backing down. Brooke Steger struck back. He is Uber Northwest general manager, says the city’s threats should and will not hinder Uber and will stand 100 percent with it’s drivers. Steger hopes the city doesn’t take this kind of hard lining.
This fight isn’t going to end anytime soon. But we’ve basically heard from just one member of Portland’s local government. Yes, the mayor is trying to be some kind of peacemaker, but we haven’t heard from anybody else in the city council. Is Novick speaking for them all? Or are they just too afraid to speak out for or against Uber or they just don’t care. Uber’s upper management is determined to stick by their drivers. But how many drivers do they have in Portland? There is strength in numbers. It’s no coincidence that Portland is the last city on the US West Coast to open it’s city to Uber. Who do you think is going to win this fight?