New York, NY— Today, Council Member Ben Kallos (D-Manhattan), a software developer, released the following statement on the proposed Uber and e-hail moratorium in New York City:

“The city must not stand in the way of progress when it comes to technology. Banning a technology company’s growth, before study or investigation, sends the wrong message to startups. Instead, New York City should be attracting top tech talent and entrepreneurs as a safe place to do business and invest, if we are to truly be a city of the future.

The City Council has an obligation to 'look before we leap,' requiring a study for review and public comment, and then taking action with full knowledge and due care. Passing a ban on growth to fix a problem at the same time as we seek to study that problem makes no sense.

Instead of issuing blanket moratoriums that limit growth and innovation, we should prioritize smart regulation. Last year, bills were introduced to regulate Uber by protecting consumers from excessive surge pricing, protecting livery bases and drivers, and promoting competition by opening e-hail to all medallions.
 
Finally, an Uber moratorium has the unintended consequence of hurting New Yorkers that depend on their neighborhood livery service that they can call on the phone. Limiting Uber’s growth will force them to hire local livery drivers away from their bases, leaving communities stranded with no one to call."