Uber, the company that allows users to hail private drivers from a smartphone app, is officially cleared for full operations in Washington, D.C., Uber announced on its blog late Tuesday. The news comes after the D.C. Council on Tuesday unanimously voted in favor of the “Public Vehicle-for-Hire Innovation Amendment Act,” which would modify 1985 taxicab regulations to allow for “digital dispatch” services. Uber, based out of San Francisco, faced a tough regulatory battle in D.C. after launching in the city December 2011, but the D.C. Council in July first gave its temporary approval to allow Uber to continue its service through the end of the year. The new law extends Uber operations ad-infinitum.
Uber is still facing battles with local authorities and lawsuits by taxicab unions in other cities across the country, namely New York, San Francisco and Chicago.
