Suzanimal
01-30-2016, 12:45 PM
PHILADELPHIA Parking Authority officials have publicly portrayed themselves as unbiased enforcers in the war between the flailing taxi industry and insurgent ride-sharing companies like UberX and Lyft.
You might have heard their standard line: PPA is simply enforcing state law by cracking down on transportation network services, which use mobile apps to connect drivers and riders but are not licensed to operate within city limits.
But emails obtained by the Daily News show that the parking authority has teamed with the taxi industry that it regulates in an effort to ensure that ride-sharing services remain illegal in Philadelphia.
In some cases, the PPA appears to have led the opposition, urging taxi medallion owners to fight ride-sharing bills that would cut into their profits.
At least one medallion owner said he participated in PPA undercover stings that have led to the impoundment of UberX cars.
An inherent conflict of interest is at work: The PPA has a financial interest in a flourishing taxi industry.
'Follow your lead'
In 2014, emails flew back and forth as PPA officials and taxi medallion owners pushed lawmakers to "carve out" Philadelphia from any bill that would legalize UberX and Lyft in Pennsylvania.
"FYI. The House is the problem. We all need to focus there, hard. Is your guy OK?" PPA general counsel Dennis Weldon wrote to Everett Abitbol, co-founder of Freedom Taxi, in September 2014.
Three days later, Weldon followed up with Abitbol: "Again, word is that the House is more resistant to a Philly carve out. I think this is an area where your lobbyist can bring some real world info to the members as to the impact this bill will have on the legally operating medallion business. Just my $.02, your lobbyist may see a different path."
"We have a call this afternoon with bravo group," Abitbol responded, referring to Freedom Taxi's lobbyist. "Will follow your lead."
Weldon then asked Abitbol to come in that day to meet with him and "Vince" - a reference to Vince Fenerty, the PPA's executive director.
Days earlier, Jim Ney, director of the PPA's taxicab and limousine division, had sent an email telling industry members to contact lawmakers "immediately to register your support" for a bill that would carve out Philadelphia from a bill legalizing ride-sharing.
When Ney learned from a taxi company that State Rep. Joe Hackett was co-sponsoring that bill, he forwarded the email to Weldon, Fenerty and other PPA executives with the note: "FYI. Some positive news from Rep. Hackett's office."
'My rider stung me'
UberX and Lyft operate throughout much of Pennsylvania under a temporary two-year agreement with the state Public Utility Commission. They have not been able to obtain licenses in Philadelphia, but during its first year in Philly, starting in October 2014, UberX says, it provided rides to about 700,000 people.
The PPA has responded by impounding its cars in undercover sting operations. At least one sting was pulled off with an assist from Police Department horses.
Taxi medallion owners apparently have been assisting as well.
On Nov. 2, 2014, Jon Brennan, 31, picked up a man and woman who had ordered an UberX ride. The couple appeared to be fighting in the backseat; Brennan now says he thinks they were acting.
When he arrived at the drop-off point near 4th and Spring Garden Streets, he immediately was blocked in by a Philadelphia police officer. A PPA officer reached into Brennan's Audi S4 and took the keys out of the ignition.
"What I didn't know until later was that my rider had stung me," Brennan said.
Later that day, the receipt for the ride was emailed from a Hotmail address to John Broggi, a PPA patrol supervisor, and William Schmid, deputy director of PPA's taxicab and limousine division.
"This is the guy from today that Matt took," the sender wrote.
Taxi medallion owner Jeff Sterin answered the phone Tuesday when a reporter called a number listed on parking authority records alongside the Hotmail address.
"I was doing those stings," Sterin conceded. He said that the rider "Lana" listed on the receipt was his sister, medallion owner Lana Marcus, but that he could not recall if he was in the car that day. "There are a lot of these kinds of stings," he said.
Sterin declined to say how he got involved in PPA stings because the cases had not been adjudicated.
...
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20160128_Emails__Parking_Authority_worked_with_tax is_to_stop_Uber.html#5eyFOc68K24MJA17.99
You might have heard their standard line: PPA is simply enforcing state law by cracking down on transportation network services, which use mobile apps to connect drivers and riders but are not licensed to operate within city limits.
But emails obtained by the Daily News show that the parking authority has teamed with the taxi industry that it regulates in an effort to ensure that ride-sharing services remain illegal in Philadelphia.
In some cases, the PPA appears to have led the opposition, urging taxi medallion owners to fight ride-sharing bills that would cut into their profits.
At least one medallion owner said he participated in PPA undercover stings that have led to the impoundment of UberX cars.
An inherent conflict of interest is at work: The PPA has a financial interest in a flourishing taxi industry.
'Follow your lead'
In 2014, emails flew back and forth as PPA officials and taxi medallion owners pushed lawmakers to "carve out" Philadelphia from any bill that would legalize UberX and Lyft in Pennsylvania.
"FYI. The House is the problem. We all need to focus there, hard. Is your guy OK?" PPA general counsel Dennis Weldon wrote to Everett Abitbol, co-founder of Freedom Taxi, in September 2014.
Three days later, Weldon followed up with Abitbol: "Again, word is that the House is more resistant to a Philly carve out. I think this is an area where your lobbyist can bring some real world info to the members as to the impact this bill will have on the legally operating medallion business. Just my $.02, your lobbyist may see a different path."
"We have a call this afternoon with bravo group," Abitbol responded, referring to Freedom Taxi's lobbyist. "Will follow your lead."
Weldon then asked Abitbol to come in that day to meet with him and "Vince" - a reference to Vince Fenerty, the PPA's executive director.
Days earlier, Jim Ney, director of the PPA's taxicab and limousine division, had sent an email telling industry members to contact lawmakers "immediately to register your support" for a bill that would carve out Philadelphia from a bill legalizing ride-sharing.
When Ney learned from a taxi company that State Rep. Joe Hackett was co-sponsoring that bill, he forwarded the email to Weldon, Fenerty and other PPA executives with the note: "FYI. Some positive news from Rep. Hackett's office."
'My rider stung me'
UberX and Lyft operate throughout much of Pennsylvania under a temporary two-year agreement with the state Public Utility Commission. They have not been able to obtain licenses in Philadelphia, but during its first year in Philly, starting in October 2014, UberX says, it provided rides to about 700,000 people.
The PPA has responded by impounding its cars in undercover sting operations. At least one sting was pulled off with an assist from Police Department horses.
Taxi medallion owners apparently have been assisting as well.
On Nov. 2, 2014, Jon Brennan, 31, picked up a man and woman who had ordered an UberX ride. The couple appeared to be fighting in the backseat; Brennan now says he thinks they were acting.
When he arrived at the drop-off point near 4th and Spring Garden Streets, he immediately was blocked in by a Philadelphia police officer. A PPA officer reached into Brennan's Audi S4 and took the keys out of the ignition.
"What I didn't know until later was that my rider had stung me," Brennan said.
Later that day, the receipt for the ride was emailed from a Hotmail address to John Broggi, a PPA patrol supervisor, and William Schmid, deputy director of PPA's taxicab and limousine division.
"This is the guy from today that Matt took," the sender wrote.
Taxi medallion owner Jeff Sterin answered the phone Tuesday when a reporter called a number listed on parking authority records alongside the Hotmail address.
"I was doing those stings," Sterin conceded. He said that the rider "Lana" listed on the receipt was his sister, medallion owner Lana Marcus, but that he could not recall if he was in the car that day. "There are a lot of these kinds of stings," he said.
Sterin declined to say how he got involved in PPA stings because the cases had not been adjudicated.
...
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20160128_Emails__Parking_Authority_worked_with_tax is_to_stop_Uber.html#5eyFOc68K24MJA17.99