there is a link near the top of the text below for the audio for this piece, but it won't be available until after 9 am: California's New Rules Could Change The Rideshare Game by Nate Rott August 08, 2013 3:15 AM 2013/08/08/209885782/californias-new-rules-could-change-the-rideshare-ga me# Audio for this story from Morning Edition will be available at approximately 9:00 a.m. ET. In cities across the nation, people are turning to ridesharing apps like Lyft - whose cars are adorned with pink mustaches - instead of traditional cab companies. In cities across the nation, people are turning to ridesharing apps like Lyft - whose cars are adorned with pink mustaches - instead of traditional cab companies. Jeff Chiu/AP By now, you've probably heard of Internet-based ridesharing apps like Uber and Sidecar that let you hail a ride with the touch of a screen. They're often cheaper than taxis and because of that, they're in most major cities and their popularity is booming. For years, cities and states - bodies that regulate transportation - have struggled to figure out what to do about them. Recently, California took the first steps towards legitimizing them. In Los Angeles, Lyft is one of the biggest ride-sharing companies. One of its most popular drivers is Jimmy Lucia, who goes by "Batman" and even dresses the part. In his day job, Lucia is actually an aspiring actor and movie director. Driving for Lyft is just a way to make a little extra income - even though, technically, the Dark Knight may be doing so illegally. There's a cease and desist order for Lyft and other ridesharing companies in L.A., inspired largely by taxi drivers, their business rivals. They complain companies like Lyft are just unregulated modes of public transportation. It's a battle that's playing out in other cities from Washington, D.C. to Washington state. "It's eating into our business. They're providing essentially the same service that we are without complying with all of the regulations that we have to comply with," says William Rouse, general manager of Los Angeles Yellow Cab, an operation with more than 1,000 taxis in the greater L.A. basin. He says that by dodging those regulations - like emissions standards and fare limits - the app-based companies have an unfair advantage. Against the ground we stand and knock our heels, whilst all our profit runs away on smartphone apps. Planet Money The 17th Century Version Of The Fight Over Uber "All of our local governments mandate that we charge a set fare. We are not allowed to discount," Rouse says. New York City rules will soon permit yellow cab drivers to accept rides through smartphone apps. All Tech Considered In New York, Taxi Apps Raise Objections From Competitors The rideshare companies are allowed to discount. Their fares are usually cheaper by about 20 percent. Rouse says that needs to be regulated for taxis to compete. Enter the California Public Utilities Commission. The PUC recently proposed a set of rules for rideshare companies - insurance requirements, driver background checks, drug tests. It also puts all of the companies under a new legal label: Transportation Network Companies, or TNCs - not taxis. Rouse thinks that's wrong. They collect fares, they meter rides - in his mind, they're taxis. "You'd think if it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, it's probably a duck," he says, "but the PUC thinks it's probably a giraffe. I don't know." 'Tides Are Turning' The PUC still has to finalize those rules in September, but tech companies are taking the proposal as a win. John Zimmer is one of the co-founders of Lyft. He says that the PUC has set a precedent that others can follow nationally and he thinks that they will. He's been contacted by mayors, asking him to expand into their cities. "I think the tides are turning. I think that people are realizing that we can improve safety for transportation, we can improve affordability for transportation, we can improve efficiency in transportation, and that's a good thing," Zimmer says. Zimmer thinks that those things can happen alongside taxis. They can coexist. But driving with Lucia, you see that there's still a ways to go. He drives by a cab as he's headed to pick up a passenger, and the look he gets from its driver can best be described as steely. (You can tell a Lyft car by the pink mustache attached to the front.) "I have had a couple of times where they pull up to me, and it looks like they want to say something, but I'm dressed as Batman and they just drive off," he says. A strategy that's catching on. Nobody messes with the new Darth Vader driver, either. Share Facebook Twitter Google+ Email 2 Comment Sign In / Register Please keep your community civil. All comments must follow the NPR.org Community rules and terms of use , and will be moderated prior to posting. NPR reserves the right to use the comments we receive, in whole or in part, and to use the commenter's name and location, in any medium. See also the Terms of Use , Privacy Policy and Community FAQ . John Gee Two Los Angeles taxi drivers have denied me rides because I wasn't going far enough or long enough. On one occasion I had my fare milked by a driver who took his time through the traffic lights while sneaking in an alternate long route - just to teach me a lesson. Taxis may be regulated but they are guilty of sleaze. Anything that makes transportation more affordable and even pleasurable is a great business idea. As a taxi passenger, I have never felt like a customer; this new way of doing business may change that. Joe Bloe i wish this would come to nyc, but the legal racket called tlc would probably not allow it. 0 Voted 2 comments Best Community http://www.npr.org/2013/08/08/209885782/californias-new-rules-could-chan ge-the-rideshare-game# Share Avatar John Gee * 2 hours ago Two Los Angeles taxi drivers have denied me rides because I wasn't going far enough or long enough. On one occasion I had my fare milked by a driver who took his time through the traffic lights while sneaking in an alternate long route - just to teach me a lesson. Taxis may be regulated but they are guilty of sleaze. Anything that makes transportation more affordable and even pleasurable is a great business idea. As a taxi passenger, I have never felt like a customer; this new way of doing business may change that. 2 * Share > Avatar Joe Bloe * 2 hours ago i wish this would come to nyc, but the legal racket called tlc would probably not allow it. http://www.npr.org/2013/08/08/209885782/californias-new-rules-could-chan ge-the-rideshare-game# * Share > Powered by Disqus in reply to Comment feed Get email updates Subscribe via email \ \ Support co