The last thing Hillsborough County needs in its two-year effort to regulate the rideshare companies Uber and Lyft is more needless drama. But County Commissioner Victor Crist seems determined to make himself the center of attention rather than focusing on the serious public policy issues at hand. If Crist, who is taking the lead on resolving this dispute, cannot bring a steady hand to the task, he should resign from the Public Transportation Commission and clear the way for new leadership.
It's understandable that Crist is frustrated after dealing with an industry that has refused to comply with local regulations because it is convinced that the popularity of its on-demand service puts it above the law. The PTC is a state-chartered body commissioned to regulate for-hire vehicles in the county. It requires, among other things, that taxicabs be insured and pass a vehicle inspection and that drivers be checked for criminal histories. These are all reasonable regulations designed to protect the public. Yet the rideshare industry claims that its smartphone business model cannot operate under this regulatory environment. It is a ridiculous, self-serving argument that the PTC has — to now, and to its credit — ably resisted.
But as the Tampa Bay Times' Caitlin Johnston reported, a PTC meeting collapsed into a shout-fest this week after Crist started taking heat from representatives of the taxi industry, who accused him of being overly accommodating to rideshare companies in the elusive search to create a level playing field. The argument was so loud that sheriff's deputies were called to the 26th floor at County Center. "It was at the top of our lungs," Crist later told the Times. "They were screaming … and I blasted them right back."
Public officials are paid to be the adults in the room, and elected officials have a further obligation to conduct themselves with dignity and respect. Crist has the law, the public interest and regulatory authority on his side; he doesn't need to amplify that standing by turning a policy issue into something personal.
Crist said the standoff over ridesharing has persuaded him to join critics of the PTC in calling for the Legislature to disband the agency and fold its operations under the county. That move is long overdue, not because the PTC's mission is pointless, but because county government can easily perform the function, likely at a lower cost. Moving the PTC under the county should also help break the connections the politically wired taxicab industry has with the agency's board.
But the PTC is right to bring the rideshare companies under its regulations. The Legislature has tried and failed for years to craft a uniform, statewide model for overseeing the industry, which is the ideal solution. In the meantime, the PTC — like it or not — has that responsibility. If Crist cannot see these negotiations through until his appointment to the PTC ends in November, he should step down early and allow a successor to fill the void. This involves big business and public safety, and all sides need to have confidence that those in charge are acting in a fair and even-keeled manner.