City to allow ride-share operators at Houston airports

A Transportation Network Company vehicle for hire license permit﻿ is one of the requirements. A Transportation Network Company vehicle for hire license permit﻿ is one of the requirements. Photo: Gary Coronado, Staff Photo: Gary Coronado, Staff Image 1 of / 20 Caption Close City to allow ride-share operators at Houston airports 1 / 20 Back to Gallery

App-based ride service companies such as Uber will be allowed to pick up passengers at Houston airports under rules City Council approved Wednesday.

The Houston rules are similar to those in Nashville, Tenn., requiring the app-based companies to build a virtual fence, get airport-specific permits and pay set fees for rides originating from Houston Airport System facilities. The companies will be responsible for the same fees taxi drivers are currently charged - $2.75 at Bush Intercontinental and $1.25 at Hobby per departing ride.

Houston joins Nashville and San Francisco in establishing regulations that let the app-based ride services into airports. Chicago has rules that allow only UberTaxi, a service that connects riders to professional taxi drivers, to operate at its two major airports.

Uber and Lyft came to Houston in February, hoping to persuade Houston officials to modify paid ride rules to accommodate them. City Council revised the rules in August, setting up a process by which the companies could continue to operate. Those rules went into effect Nov. 4.

Before getting an airport permit, the vehicles would need to be permitted by the city.

Council members had a lengthy discussion about the airport rules at a committee meeting last month, but there was no discussion at Wednesday's meeting before council unanimously passed the rules.