Iowa City is moving forward with a change that would allow the ride-sharing service Uber to operate in the city.

On Wednesday night, the city council unanimously approved the first of three readings of an amendment to the city's taxicab ordinance. It would require services like Uber to obtain a city-issued business license and provide background checks on its drivers, as well as trip records.

Many cab drivers and cab company operators at the meeting said Uber, even with that change, will still have an unfair advantage because its drivers are not as heavily regulated. Some cab drivers repeated their concerns that Uber drivers don't seem to be required to carry a chauffeur license, a question that some council members discussed before the vote. Some believe Uber drivers are required to do so under state law, but an Uber representative at the meeting said he wasn't able to answer that question.

Uber drivers like Carol Hustad said they're providing a needed service, and not being able to pick up fares in Iowa City means her business is sometimes one-way. "I get airport rides because I'm close to the airport, and a lot of people come down here, but then I can't do a return back. I have to, in other words, drive back now that I'm on my own and not getting a trip back."

At-Large council member Rockne Cole said he wants to make sure the city maintains fairness between ride sharing services and cab companies, not giving either one an unfair advantage over the other. "We need to make sure that we're not giving short thrift to our existing taxi cab services to ensure that they have regulator parity, that we have a fair marketplace for both dynamic companies such as Uber, as well as our taxi cab companies."

The city council will take a second vote at its next meeting in two weeks.