A group of Florida taxi companies and an Uber customer claim the state is failing to enforce its statutes. The group is suing both the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
Lawyer Ryan Andrews says the group wants the department of agriculture to test the measuring devices used by cab hailing companies such as Uber. He says testing the technology, such as GPS devices is an important consumer protection. Without it, he says people could face the same struggle as a Brooklyn woman who was charged $12,000 for what Andrews says was about a 7 mile ride.
“She complained and they said ‘hey you’re right, we’ve given you the wrong fare, it should be $16,000.' Ultimately, I believe she was able to get a refund, but that’s just one example of their technology isn’t flawless and it needs to be inspected by the state of Florida, pursuant to our statutes,” Andrews says.
And in a second lawsuit, Andrew's clients are pushing the Department of Highway Safety to require commercial insurance for all transportation services including Uber, Lyft and traditional cabs.
Meanwhile, Florida Governor Rick Scott said Wednesday he thinks there should be a state-wide plan for the regulation of the ride sharing companies.
