Brian Sharp

@SharpRoc

The ride-sharing company Lyft has submitted proposed legislation to the city that would allow the company to resume operations suspended last month.

But just how soon the city might act on the request is uncertain. City Council only discussed the matter for the first time, informally, this week. Lyft submitted its proposed regulations back on Aug. 6, just five days after being forced to shut down.

“We will look at it from the perspective of what we need to do,” said City Council President Loretta Scott. “If what they proposed comports with that, then fine. But that is not necessarily where we start.”

Lyft uses a smartphone application to match drivers using their own cars with people who pay a “donation” for getting a ride. In this way, the business attempts to operate outside of regulations and licensing requirements governing traditional for-profit taxi and livery services.

The company operated in Rochester from late April until Aug. 1. City officials wrote to Lyft back in May that the company and its drivers needed to be licensed or face fines. Lyft did not respond until July. By then, the conversation had moved to the state level and, as part of an agreement reached to launch service in New York City, Lyft suspended operations in Rochester and Buffalo.

In response to a media inquiry, Lyft released a statement Tuesday that it offered proposed local regulations at the request of city officials while the company “works with the state of New York to update insurance regulations that would allow Lyft’s peer-to-peer model to operate.”

The company said the regulations emphasize public safety.

In New York, cities have been left to work with Lyft on licensing. The service remains suspended in Buffalo, and the status of any discussions to resume operations there was not immediately clear. Lyft’s proposed regulations are Rochester-specific, a company spokeswoman said.

“At this point, no decisions have been made at the city level,” said Brian Curran, deputy corporation counsel for the city of Rochester. “They have drafted something which essentially fits their business model. It doesn’t fit the city.”

The city’s current regulations require drivers to be licensed as cab drivers, complete certain training and have safety inspections and vehicles of a certain color with signs, meters and other equipment.

Lyft proposes what it is calling “transportation network companies,” which would receive a license permitting its approved operators to provide rides through the company’s platform. Drivers cannot solicit or accept street hails under Lyft’s proposal.

Under the proposed regulations — stamped “draft-confidential” — each company would conduct criminal background and driving record checks and administer its own driver-training program and vehicle inspections. In addition to the driver’s personal insurance, the company must maintain commercial liability insurance providing at least $1 million coverage per incident or the state’s accepted minimum, whichever is greater.

The Democrat and Chronicle sought the proposal through an open records request to the city last month and obtained the suggested regulations Tuesday.

“The primary concern is what is the appropriate regulation of this industry, and drivers being appropriately trained and licensed and insured,” Curran said in an earlier interview.

Since submitting its proposal to the city, Lyft officials have sent follow-up emails at least twice seeking feedback. Each time, the city responded that it was reviewing the matter. It remains unclear who will take the lead on the matter. City Council led the most recent round of discussions on tax regulations.

“We haven’t defined the path we are going to take,” Scott said, adding that Council members have asked for an opinion from the city’s law department. “We recognize this is going to be a new business model.”

BDSHARP@DemocratandChronicle.com

Twitter.com/sharproc