John Lyda 5-7-15.jpg

Hoover Councilman John Lyda talks to the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Committee on Thursday, May 7, 2015, about legislation to allow transportation network companies to operate in Alabama. At left is Kathleen Spencer, secretary for the Hoover chamber's board of directors. (Jon Anderson/janderson@al.com)

A Hoover city councilman is trying to recruit support from the business community for statewide legislation that would place app-based transit companies under state authority and prevent cities from regulating them.

Hoover Councilman John Lyda today spoke to the economic development committee of the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce, asking them to research the matter and let state legislators know how they feel.

Lyda also testified to the Alabama House Small Business and Commerce Committee last week that the proposed legislation, sponsored by state Rep. Jack Williams, R-Vestavia Hills, would bring choice and competition to communities that now lack transportation options.

Williams' legislation, House Bill 509, would allow online, app-based transit companies such as Uber and Lyft to operate as "transportation network companies" -- separate from taxi or limousine services.

Uber headquarters on Market Street in San Francisco. (Associated Press)

Such companies would be subject to Alabama Public Service Commission oversight.

The bill would require annual safety inspections for vehicles used, third-party background checks on drivers and a zero-tolerance policy for drug and alcohol use. The companies would also have to maintain trip records for a year, and keep driver records for at least one year.

However, the bill also would not allow municipalities to impose any fees or requirements on those companies, their drivers or the vehicles they use.

Officials in cities such as Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, which have fought efforts by Uber to operate in their cities, have opposed the legislation. Birmingham Councilwoman Kim Rafferty, chairwoman of the council's transportation committee, has said the job of ensuring safety on roadways belongs to local governments and not the state. Plus, transportation companies using apps should not be singled out and face less regulation than traditional ride-for-hire companies, such as taxi and limousine services, she said.

Lyda told the Hoover chamber committee today that opponents of Williams' bill raise some valid points but said "this is about consumer choice and free markets" and "there is a natural tendency to be scared of competition."

Uber offers a quality service that many other cities across the nation, including Nashville and New Orleans, have embraced, Lyda said. "We're the only state in the South that doesn't have it," he said.

Uber driver Rebecca Reynolds stands in front of her 2008 Honda Accord parked in the Santa Fe Plaza on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2014 in Santa Fe, N.M. Reynolds uses her car to provide rides. Reynolds' daughter who lives in Los Angeles is also an Uber driver. (AP Photo/The Santa Fe New Mexican, Clyde Mueller)

Uber allows people needing a ride to check an app and see what vehicles are available and where they are. Customers can see a picture of the car, a picture of the driver, ratings for that driver and the actual fare that will be charged for the trip, including tip, Lyda said. If the customers choose to proceed, no cash changes hands. Payment is done online through Uber.

Lyda said he uses Uber when he travels out of state and has been very pleased with the service, but companies such as Uber have chosen to stay out of Alabama because they don't want to be regulated the same way as traditional taxi companies and have been unable to negotiate acceptable regulations with cities such as Birmingham, Tuscaloosa and Auburn.

Lyda said that, because many transportation companies offer services that cross municipal boundaries, it makes more sense to have common regulations across the state that ensure public safety. There are 36 municipalities in Jefferson County alone, he said.

This is both a quality-of-life issue and economic development issue, Lyda said.

Metro Birmingham is never at the top of the list when it comes to having a walkable community because there aren't a lot of sidewalks and pedestrian-friendly areas, Lyda said. Plus, public transit is very limited, he said.

More and more young people are choosing not to own vehicles and need transportation options, Lyda said. Plus, people coming into Alabama for conventions and meetings need quality transportation options, too, he said.

Kathleen Spencer, board secretary for the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce and a former hotel manager, said one of the biggest complaints she heard from meeting planners and hotel guests is the amount of time people have to wait to get a cab in the Birmingham area.

Those kinds of problems could cause event planners to go elsewhere and keep young people from wanting to build a life here, Lyda said.

Most municipalities are not going to suffer much by losing revenue on pay-per-ride services, Lyda said. Hoover, the sixth largest city in the state and one with quite a few hotels and retail businesses, only made $740 from taxi cabs last year, Lyda said.

Lyda encouraged business people and the general public to research the app-based transportation network companies and try them out when they are traveling. Then, he wants people to contact their state legislators and let them know how they feel about the issue.

If legislation isn't passed this session, Lyda said he hopes Williams and Gov. Robert Bentley can put together a commission to address the issue and find some middle ground so Alabama doesn't get left behind.

See more about House Bill 509 here and the opposition to it here.

See more news from Hoover at www.al.com/hoover