Mayor Michael Pantelides and other members of the Annapolis City Council are requesting that the City Manager Tom Andrews hold Uber responsible for not complying with the City Code. The city’s enforcement actions will be against the drivers, not Uber directly.
During Monday’s City Council meeting, City Attorney Mike Leahy said that Uber meets the Code definition as a taxicab operation under section 7 48 0208 B which defines a “Taxicab” as a motor vehicle for hire that is: a) designed to carry seven or fewer individuals including the driver; and b) used to accept or solicit passengers for transportation for hire between those points along highways in this city as the passengers request. According to 7.48.480 of the Annapolis City Code, no person shall operate any taxicab or vehicle used or solicit or pick up riders for fare in the City unless that person has a valid taxicab driver’s license to operate a taxicab under the provisions of this chapter.
The city will begin the enforcement on Friday, January 30, and is planning to write warnings prior to issuing citations.
The city sent a letter to Uber Technologies in July of 2014 notifying them to cease their operations in Annapolis until they could obtain the proper registration to operate a taxicab service in Annapolis. Uber did not respond.
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