Ga. Supreme Court Weighs Taxi Drivers’ Demands for Damages
In this March 25, 2016 photo, an Atlanta Police Rides-For-Hire Enforcement vehicle sits amid taxi cabs outside the departures area of the domestic terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. A battle over background checks for Uber drivers at the world’s busiest airport comes as cities like Los Angeles and Austin, Texas, consider more thorough screenings … Continued
AP Photo/Jeff Martin
Taxi drivers say the state owes them for allowing regulated ride share companies to operate.
Georgia’s Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in a suit filed by taxi drivers who say they should be compensated for the state’s changes to regulating their industry.
Last year, the state legislature passed a law to begin regulating ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft. A group of five taxi drivers say that destroyed their exclusive right to operate vehicles for hire in Atlanta and the state should pay.
“What we are saying is by taking away our rights, which were established by Georgia law and by the city, we’ve been damaged,” said William Pannell, the drivers’ lawyer, before the court.
“Their argument is anytime a government passes a regulation that negatively impacts a business’s profits, then the government should compensate that business,” said Robin Lee, a lawyer for the state. “That is simply not a correct statement of the law.”
A lower court has already dismissed the drivers’ case. The state Supreme Court is set to rule on whether that was the right move.
Most cases are decided within six months of oral arguments.
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