Uber, the company that developed a smartphone app to connect those who need a ride with drivers, is under fire for its recent launch in Nevada. And it appears they don’t care.
Over the weekend, Uber launched its ridesharing services in Las Vegas and Reno. Instead of having taxis of its own, individual vehicle owners act as independent contractors who pick up and haul riders to destinations.
Taxi companies say Uber is illegal. Over the weekend, the Nevada Transportation Authority cracked down on Uber drivers. Rick Velotta, who covers transportation issues for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, said the legal fight will be more difficult in Nevada than Uber faced in other states.
"I think Nevada's a lot tougher than they might have recognized," Velotta said. "So, you're going to see that this battle is prolonged. But Uber is pretty headstrong on this, and obviously (the taxi industry) is pretty headstrong on it."
Ultimately, Velotta guessed, Uber will be allowed to operate. "It's going to take some compromise," he said. "Obviously, they'll be fought every step of the way by the taxi industry and the limousine industry ... this is a huge, huge industry. It's big business, so obviously everybody's going to want a piece of that."
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