Uber, the San Francisco startup that allows users to hail cabs and private drivers from its smartphone app, has run into yet another round of local regulatory trouble.
This time, the company is butting up against the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, which is proposing new rules that include a ban on sedans charging by distance. Uber says that would effectively prohibit its current service in Denver.
As Uber wrote on its company blog Tuesday:
These rules are not designed to promote safety, nor improve quality of service. They are intended to stop innovation, protect incumbents, hurt independent drivers, and shut down Uber in Denver.
The company is asking its users and fans to contact Colorado’s Democratic Governor John Hickenlooper to overturn or block the proposed rules. Uber was recently permitted to operate in Washington, D.C., after the D.C. Council amended its rules in favor of cab hailing via smartphone apps. Uber still faces challenges from regulators and cab trade groups in Chicago, New York and San Francisco.
