Ridesharing firm Uber faces setback in New Mexico

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico regulators have denied a temporary operating permit for a major ride-sharing company.

The Albuquerque Journal reports (http://bit.ly/1pBBVed) that the Public Regulation Commission voted 3-2 on Wednesday to withhold the permit from Uber Technologies.

Commissioners say they could not grant the permit because of requested waivers for required filings such as driver safety records and insurance information.

Uber filed for a permanent certificate to operate in May.

The state commission recently attempted to shut down ride-sharing company Lyft Inc. but abandoned the initiative earlier this month. Lyft has argued it doesn’t need a permit of any kind because it is not a taxi service.

Commissioners say they will begin planning new regulations addressing safety concerns and other issues surrounding ride-sharing companies.

Earlier this month, Colorado became the first state whose legislature passed a law regulating companies such as UberX, which is part of Uber Technologies, and Lyft. In April, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed legislation that would have exempted Uber and other ride-sharing companies from insurance regulations imposed on traditional taxi and livery companies.

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Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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