Uber and other smartphone-based ridesharing services no longer have to worry about a disparity in regulations between different Maine towns and cities after lawmakers approved new statewide regulations on Tuesday.
The Bangor Daily News reported that the Maine House of Representatives and Senate voted to override Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of L.D. 1379, which creates new insurance and safety requirements for ridesharing services such as Uber, which currently operates in Portland, Bar Harbor, Kennebunk, Ogunquit and Old Orchard Beach.
Uber reportedly saw the bill’s passage as a victory for “riders, drivers and cities across Maine,” perhaps in part because it means municipalities and counties no longer have the authority to write their own rules for ridesharing services.
The stakes for Uber were high enough that it sent emails to Maine users earlier this week, urging them to call their local legislator in support of the bill.
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