GASTONIA, N.C. -- The city of Gastonia votes Tuesday whether to deregulate taxi companies.

• The city said it could put taxis on a level playing field with rideshare services like Uber and Lyft
• Gastonia sets how much drivers can charge, taxi companies must have a brick and mortar location and drivers must submit a background check with fingerprint analysis
• If the measure passes, taxi companies would still have to follow state regulations

The city said it could put taxis on a level playing field with rideshare services like Uber and Lyft.

Gastonia sets how much drivers can charge, taxi companies must have a brick and mortar location and drivers must submit a background check with fingerprint analysis. It's a time consuming requirement compared to ride share services which can use a third-party background check service.

City council will decide Tuesday whether to change those rules.

"It would level the playing field in terms of the fare they can charge. The TNC's can charge as they wish and now the cab companies would be able to do that too," said Gastonia Deputy City Manager Todd Carpenter.

If the measure passes, taxi companies would still have to follow state regulations.