Uber restates threat to leave Colorado unless Polis vetoes rideshare bill
Uber is still threatening to leave Colorado if a bill creating new rideshare regulations is signed into law, despite significant amendments before it passed the state's legislature on the final day of its session.
The version of HB 1291 sent to Gov. Jared Polis on May 7, the last day of the General Assembly's legislative session, removed provisions requiring audio and video recording of all rides, reduced circumstances under which passengers could sue a transportation network company (TNC) such as Uber or Lyft and otherwise softened some of the bill's most stringent provisions to boost passenger safety. But the scramble in the final days of the session was not enough to back Uber down from its threat to cease operations in Colorado.
'We urge Governor Polis to veto HB25-1291, a bill developed behind closed doors and driven by the financial interests of billboard attorneys — not the needs of Coloradans,' Uber said in a statement provided to the Coloradoan by spokesperson Stefanie Sass.
Shelby Wieman, Polis's press secretary, said the governor would review the final version of the bill before making a decision.
'Governor Polis is committed to making Colorado safer for everyone, including making sure ride-sharing companies are keeping riders and drivers safe,' Wieman said in an email. 'He has shared concerns about privacy, conflicts with federal and existing state law, and the ability of the bill to be successfully implemented and the ability for TNCs to successfully comply.'
Another popular rideshare company, Lyft, has not made the same explicit threats to leave Colorado, but a spokesperson said the changes by legislators at the end of the session in some ways made the bill worse.
'While safety on our platform is paramount, the bill that passed fails to address fundamental flaws in the original version and in crucial ways made the legislation worse,' Lyft spokesperson CJ Macklin said in an email. 'Multiple provisions were added last-minute without consideration for the long-term consequences they could impose upon both riders and drivers. There are better ways to improve safety in Colorado, and we remain committed to working toward a more productive solution."
The Uber logo is shown on the building in Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 14, 2024.
What changed in HB 1291?
The regulations enshrined in the original version of House Bill 1291 included:
Audio and video recording of all trips with the rideshare companies providing the equipment for drivers
A ban on drivers offering or providing snacks or water to passengers
Mandatory safety screenings of drivers every six months
More stringent verification that the person behind the wheel is actually the person the account belongs to
Changes made in amendments during the final days of the session include:
Video and audio recording would be optional
Passengers could only bring a civil suit against a driver or rider in instances of sexual assault, kidnapping, personal injury and death, with other issues going to arbitration
A driver would need to notify a rideshare company within 48 hours of a guilty plea for an offense that would disqualify them from driving, and the company would not be liable if the driver did not report the plea
Specifying that the water and food ban would be enforced through random compliance checks
Companies could remove driver ratings and reviews they believed were bias-motivated
Why is Uber threatening to leave Colorado?
In an April 23 email to riders, Uber said the conditions would make it impossible to operate in the state. Specifically it called the recording requirements an invasion of riders' privacy, said the prohibition on food and drink would create 'unworkable conditions' with 'impractical requirements" and predicted the whole package would lead to 'frivolous lawsuits" that would drive up costs.
'We believe there's a better way to ensure safety and accessibility without sacrificing your privacy or forcing Uber out of the state, and we're ready to find a middle ground,' the email said.
Why are new safety rules for Uber, Lyft and other rideshare companies being proposed in Colorado?
State Rep. Jenny Willford, a Northglenn Democrat who introduced the bill in January, has said rideshare companies need to do more to protect passengers. She sued Lyft in January, alleging she was sexually assaulted by a driver using someone else's account in 2024, according to Colorado Newsline.
In a statement posted to her Instagram account on April 24, Willford called Uber's threat to leave Colorado a 'cynical and disheartening move by a multi-billion dollar company to turn their back on survivors rather than implement real safety measures.'
Willford said legislators have 'worked with Uber in good faith for months and accepted many of their amendment requests - including a full rewrite of the bill.'
Has Uber threatened to stop its service in other areas?
Yes, multiple times and all were eventually resolved.
In 2024, Uber and Lyft both said they would stop serving riders in in and around Minneapolis after its city council tried to impose higher wages for drivers. State legislators eventually passed a bill overriding the city's ordinance and the services never left.
In 2016, Uber and Lyft did shut down in Austin, Texas, over a city ordinance that imposed several restrictions on working conditions, driver verification and pay. It returned in 2017 after a state law stripped local government of the ability to regulate rideshare companies.
Other disputes including ones in California, Seattle, Phoenix and Chicago that led Uber to threaten to cut service were resolved without services ending.
Nate Trela covers trending news in Colorado and Utah for the USA TODAY Network.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Uber reiterates threat to leave Colorado unless new bill is vetoed
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