Thomas Gounley

TGOUNLEY@NEWS-LEADER.COM

Ride-hailing service Uber on Wednesday cited plans to come to Springfield while advocating for legislation filed in the Missouri statehouse.

The company's statements — its first to give a time frame for a local launch — come days before Springfield City Council will consider its own bill that also pertains to the company.

In a Wednesday news release, Uber said House Bill 2330 and Senate Bill 991 would establish what the company called "modern regulations for ridesharing" that "would lead to 10,000 new economic opportunities for drivers across Missouri."

The company said the legislation — sponsored by Rep. Kirk Mathews, R-Pacific, and Sen. Bob Onder, R-Lake Saint Louis — "would pave the way for new growth and investments, including Uber's commitment to launch four new markets in Missouri by end of 2016."

Uber said those markets include Springfield, Jefferson City, St. Charles and St. Joseph; the company already has a presence in St. Louis, Kansas City and Columbia.

The legislation would effectively create a statewide standard for regulation of Transportation Network Companies, allowing Uber and similar companies to spend less time trying to change regulations that can vary from city to city. Under the House bill, those companies would be required to conduct background checks of drivers, ensure vehicles are insured and provide customers with fare estimates.

Uber's interest in launching in Springfield is not a surprise. The company has been recruiting drivers in the city since early 2015, although efforts seem to have become more serious in recent weeks, with ads for drivers playing on area radio stations.

A launch by the end of 2016 is the first mention Uber has made regarding a time frame for coming to Springfield. But spokeswoman Jaime Moore told the News-Leader that hinges on whether the bills currently in the Missouri House and Senate ultimately become law.

"The four new markets are not a sure thing — it's pending the legislation passing," Moore said.

The Missouri legislature's annual session ends in mid-May. Bills passed by both bodies are then sent to the governor to be signed into law or vetoed. Laws typically take effect in late August.

Uber can't legally operate in Springfield based on current provisions in city code — although that could soon change. City Council's Finance and Administration Committee recently discussed changes to the city's regulation of Transportation Network Companies, and the resulting bill goes before the full council at Monday's meeting.

Moore didn't respond to an inquiry from the News-Leader regarding whether Uber supported the council bill and if its passage would affect when the company launched in Springfield.

Unlike the current version of the House bill, the council bill would require drivers be fingerprinted. In the past, Uber has pushed back hard at efforts to require fingerprinting as part of a background check, in some cases exiting — or threatening to exit — markets in which it was already operating.

The Missouri House has already passed insurance regulations for ride-hailing companies, and a Senate panel amended the measure to make it easier for taxi companies to opt into the new regulatory system. Taxi companies in the past have objected to creating different rules for businesses that offer essentially the same service.

Proposed regulations stalled in each chamber last year. This year, Uber has registered 11 lobbyists in Missouri.

What if Uber came to Springfield? We asked taxi companies and the city

To use Uber, customers download an app on a smartphone, enter credit card information and request rides within the app. Drivers operate independently, in their own vehicles; they log into the app and let the company know when they are available to pick up a passenger.

When a ride is requested, the company alerts a nearby driver; the app allows the customer to track the car as it approaches. When the ride is completed, payment is automatically made to the company and driver through the saved card information.

Uber is also known for its "surge pricing" — when demand for a ride is high, the fare automatically increases.

Information from the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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