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Naperville divided on regulations for ridesharing services

A taxi company representative's visit to Naperville City Council sparked a discussion, not about taxis but about Uber - the smartphone application ride-sharing service - and whether its drivers should be allowed to operate in town.

One council member says Uber is not welcome in Naperville, and police should ticket drivers for functioning as unlicensed taxis.

"These guys get around background checks, fingerprinting, licensing," council member Paul Hinterlong said. "We reached out to them, and they weren't interested in anything we had to offer."

Another council member says the city shouldn't crack down on Uber. Using a smartphone app to find a ride is a "generational thing" among twentysomethings, council member Judith Brodhead says, so ticketing those who give rides is not the way to go.

"I would really not suggest starting to cite Uber drivers," she said.

Others on the panel fall somewhere in the middle. And for now, the city is watching and waiting.

City Attorney Jill Wilger said a state bill that would establish ride-sharing regulations is being prepared for a potential override of Gov. Pat Quinn's earlier veto. Some, like council member Steve Chirico, say ride-sharing services are best regulated at the state level because "you can't have laws that change every time you pass a city line."

Naperville police Chief Robert Marshall said officers can ticket Uber drivers for operating without a taxi license, and they could even use the app to set up a ride just to give out a ticket - without it being considered entrapment.

"We can enforce that because they're unlicensed, and they shouldn't be operating in Naperville," Marshall said.

But when pressed, he said he and the city's legal department need to investigate further what the city can do to regulate drivers for the smartphone-based service.

Council member Robert Fieseler agreed the city should progress slowly and study its options before creating any regulations on ride-sharing services such as Uber.

"Now isn't the time to express opposition to this because we don't know enough about it," Fieseler said. "A lot of it has to do with terminology. What's a rideshare versus what is a taxi?"

Spokeswoman Lauren Altmin described Uber as "a technology company that connects riders and drivers through the use of a smartphone application."

"Since our launch in Chicago and the surrounding areas, including Naperville, we have seen a tremendous response to the platform from riders and drivers," she said.

While Uber does not currently have to follow requirements for safety, insurance or licensing often imposed on the taxi industry, Altmin said safety is a top priority and the company always is striving to improve its safety standards.

Uber drivers must go through a background check that searches county, federal and multistate records dating back seven years. Drivers must not have citations or violations for DUI, drugs, hit and runs, reckless driving, fatal accidents, violent crimes, sexual offenses, gun-related crimes, or resisting or evading arrest.

Within the past three years, Uber drivers must not have been cited for driving without insurance or driving on a suspended license, according to the driver screening page on Uber's website.

The company also has a $1 million commercial liability policy as insurance to cover every trip Uber riders make.

Altmin didn't respond to questions seeking Uber's response to potential regulations in Naperville.

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