ALBANY, N.Y. -- With the clock ticking on the state budget, lawmakers are closing in on a deal to allow ride hailing services like Uber and Lyft to operate in upstate counties.
“We didn’t get as much as we thought was necessary but we got some,” said Kevin Cahill, an assemblyman from Kingston.
Lawmakers were able to resolve a long-standing debate over insurance coverage. But even if this agreement officially passes, that doesn't mean ride-hailing is a done deal for your community.
"If a jurisdiction that is qualified wishes to not have that service, they would have to take the affirmative step and opt out," Cahill said.
There is also a provision to allow counties or cities with a population of more than $100,000 to opt out of ride hailing. As for the sales tax on each hail, the numbers are still be worked out.
“The most important thing is that it needs to be easy to use," said Vic Christopher.
Christopher, a Troy business owner and a ride hailing advocate, says he is still cautious on the news since it's only a tentative agreement.
“I’m not going to believe that we actually have ride sharing like Uber and Lyft in New York until I am in the back of one of those cars,” Christopher said.
Meanwhile, the Upstate Transportation Association released this statement on the tentative agreement: “This reported agreement was bought by Uber and would make upstate passengers less safe than those in New York City. If state lawmakers aren’t willing to make Uber fingerprint its drivers statewide, they must allow local governments to make that choice for themselves."
New York City already allows ride-hailing services. This plan would not make any changes to that.