Why Uber and Lyft Left Austin — Medium
Right now, as a resident in Austin, Texas, I am unable to call an Uber or Lyft. As of 8 am today, both companies have left the city of Austin with no public intention of ever coming back. The reason why the ridesharing companies left was because Proposition 1, a proposition that required a special election for the city of Austin on May 7th, failed. The Daily Dot has had fantastic coverage on the issue, and summarizes it as follows:
Prop. 1 would have replaced an ordinance adopted in December that required TNCs to conduct fingerprint-based background checks. Both Uber and Lyft have argued in the past that their own background check systems are sufficient, and that fingerprinting is unnecessary and not as comprehensive.
Uber and Lyft reportedly spent an unprecedented $8.6 million on their Ridesharing Works campaign asking voters to vote for Prop 1.