Uber, Lyft and other Internet-based ride services can now legally operate at John Wayne Airport under an agreement approved Tuesday by the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

The companies will obtain permits and pay the airport $2.25 for each ride. They also could face increased competition from established taxicabs, as supervisors pledged to address regulations in their contracts.

“It should be a free market,” Chairman Todd Spitzer said.

The Transportation Network Company, which includes Uber and Lyft, must obtain permits before drivers can pick up people at the airport. No one’s sure how soon that will happen. The companies already are allowed to drop off departing passengers at the airport.

Tuesday’s agreement ends months of wrangling by county leaders over how to regulate the use of the increasingly popular smartphone applications at the airport, which big companies like Super Shuttle and Yellow Cab have long claimed as prime turf.

But the conversation isn’t over: Supervisors say they want to work with the more traditional taxis to help them better compete.

Right now, taxis must stay in a designated area and can’t stop at curbs to retrieve passengers. Supervisors say they’re willing to change that with the advice of company officials.

“We need you to tell us what’s fair,” Supervisor Shawn Nelson said.

Larry Slagle, president of Yellow Cab of Greater Orange County, said he welcomes conversations about how to level the playing field. Uber and Lyft, he said, enjoy lower overhead costs because of fewer regulations, such as extra insurance, vehicle inspections and background checks.

“We understand they’re here to stay. We’re not fighting that issue,” Slagle said.

The board’s discussion was halted about 11:40 a.m. when Larry Serafini, the airport’s acting director, suffered a medical condition. Serafini was not hospitalized and returned to work shortly afterward; an airport spokeswoman said he appeared dehydrated.

The meeting resumed in the afternoon with Deputy Airport Director Scott Hagen in place of Serafini.

Airport officials still have a lot to do. As of now, for example, there’s no way to track whether ride-service drivers are at the airport. That means the permit and $2.25-per-ride fee is basically on the honor system until the airport gets an electronic fence like that at the San Francisco airport.

Mike Dorsey, Uber’s director of public policy, told supervisors Uber is committed “to paying our fair share” in fees to support airport operations.

Supervisor Lisa Bartlett questioned the safety of the ride services, which, unlike cab companies, aren’t linked to Department of Motor Vehicles driving records.

“We’re putting the passengers at risk here by not having that real-time information here about the drivers,” Bartlett said.

Contact the writer: mcuniff@ocregister.com or 949-492-5122. Twitter: @meghanncuniff.