Uber a safe, innovative, job-creating alternative

On Oct. 24, Uber finally brought its globally celebrated ride-sharing service to Nevada by launching in Las Vegas, Reno, Henderson and beyond. After operating for three weeks, we are even more excited about offering people in Las Vegas a safe, affordable, convenient and reliable way to get around this great valley. We’ve already seen thousands of riders connect with their community like never before.

The demand for Uber is clear and growing. It has been pent up for years, the result of a tremendous and unmet need for more choice in transportation options in Las Vegas. Be it for daily tasks or an evening on the town, Las Vegans are turning to Uber to move around their city in ways once unimaginable when options were limited.

Uber’s impact has also been felt by communities that have traditionally been underserved or altogether ignored by other providers. Now, safe, affordable rides are available to more people in more parts of the city than ever before.

What’s more, the ubiquity and reliability of Uber can remove the temptation of getting behind the wheel after a night on the town. In fact, in Seattle, our analysis shows that DUI arrests declined by 10 percent after Uber arrived.

But the benefits of Uber extend far beyond riders on the platform. From stay-at-home parents to people between jobs, the unparalleled freedom and flexibility of the technology has already provided hundreds of driver-partners the opportunity to start their own small business.

The impact for riders, drivers and entire cities is clear. Yet, despite this impact, there are many who fear the competition Uber brings to the Las Vegas market. This is nothing new to us. From San Francisco to Miami, incumbent industries have sought to protect their monopolies by attempting to shut us down. They prefer to stifle innovation than to compete for customers by providing the best service possible.

But what’s more notable than those making the noise is the massive wave of positive responses we’ve seen sweeping across the country. Forward-thinking policymakers are listening to their constituents and rapidly welcoming ride-sharing with reasonable regulations that are allowing this industry to thrive.

Tech-friendly California and Colorado led the charge by acknowledging that ride-sharing is fundamentally different than decades-old regulatory schemes. With Uber, there are no fleets and no medallions, and there is an inherent flexibility that allows people to use their own vehicles on their own time. Rather than bury their heads in the sand, these states proactively created regulatory frameworks that enhance rider and driver safety, such as $1 million commercial insurance when a ride is in progress and stringent driver background checks. These common-sense policies ensure that consumers are protected while adapting rules that embrace the innovation economy.

The Washington, D.C., City Council recently passed the nation’s most innovative and sensible ride-share framework to date, creating a template for the rest of the nation. Cincinnati passed a similar ordinance shortly thereafter. Cities from Baton Rouge, La., to Beaverton, Ore., are welcoming Uber with open arms. The governor of Virginia brokered a solution for Uber in August, stating his motivation to ensure that the state remained economically competitive. And in New York, the attorney general recently opined that proposed rules in the state threatened to negatively impact the growth of ride-sharing, thus restricting economic opportunities for the state.

Uber now operates in more than 230 cities and 46 countries across the globe. People around the world are turning to the technology for safe, reliable and affordable rides. Why should Las Vegas, home of the Consumer Electronics Show — which has welcomed Uber’s expansion into the Silver State — be any different? Why hide behind outdated regulations that put Nevada at risk of falling behind?

With Uber, Nevada has an incredible opportunity to support innovation, consumer choice and job creation, all of which benefit residents across the state. Innovation is, by definition, new and different, and as such, innovative services such as ride-sharing deserve a different regulatory response.

In a matter of days, more than 17,000 consumers signed a petition advocating that Nevada needs Uber. We urge state leaders to listen to the calls of Nevadans who want Uber in the Silver State and respond with common-sense regulations that put the safety and choice of the people first.

William Barnes is West Coast general manager for Uber.