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Board Approves Regulations Paving the Way for TNCs

March 17, 2015

At today’s regularly scheduled Board meeting, the LRAA Board of Directors approved changes to the Airport Authority’s Regulations that govern ground transportation companies at Louisville International Airport. The changes were necessary due to the emergence of a new mode of ground transportation—the Transportation Network Companies (TNCs), the broad name for companies such as Lyft, Sidecar and Uber. Because TNCs vary from taxi cab operators in many respects, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet issued a new set of emergency regulations in December 2014, governing the operation of TNCs in the Commonwealth. With the state framework established, the Airport Authority began the process of working on revisions to its ground-transportation regulations governing picking up passengers at the airport, which included discussions with Uber, Lyft and our current ground transportation partners. (There are not any restrictions on dropping off passengers.) These recently approved Authority regulations provide the framework for the permitting and contracting processes for the TNCs and follow, as appropriate, those for other ground transportation providers and include:

  • The TNC must comply with the state’s regulations, including insurance, background checks for drivers and vehicle inspection standards, and provide proof of the state-issued permit for each vehicle and driver.
  • While the Airport Authority will not enter into any contract with a TNC until the company is permitted by the Commonwealth, any contracts will:
    • Outline ground transportation and trip fees;
    • Designate loading and holding areas; and
    • Define customer service standards for drivers—in