Uber Issues Last Minute Demands To Shreveport City Council

The Shreveport City Council was preparing to vote on an updated city ordinance for ride sharing services to operate within the city. The two companies looking to enter the market are Lyft and Uber.

This morning, City Councilman Michael Corbin told KEEL News that he thought the deal was pretty well done. It appeared that both Lyft and Uber were agreeable to the requested changes the companies made to the city for the new ordinance. However a late move by Uber may create too much divide between the city and the company.

A source close to the negotiations provided KEEL with the last minute demands from Uber. These demands came just before today's meeting started. Here are the new demands from Uber:

1. They are requesting that we no longer require that the City be named as an additional insured on Uber’s policy of insurance

2. They have changed the $0.25 per ride fee to a 1% gross revenue fee (not to be effective until one year after the first permit is issued)

3. They want to remove the requirement that their driver’s vehicle display the “trade dress” (Uber logo)

4. Soften the criminal background requirements.

Uber informed the city, and city council, that if they do not make these changes right away Uber will "make a public announcement that they will be unable to enter this market."

As of this article, the City Council is currently meeting. This discussion has yet to begin.