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Charlotte Council To Consider New Rules For Taxi Operators

Charlotte City Council members on Monday night could approve new rules for taxi operators. Proposed revisions to Charlotte's Passenger Vehicle for Hire Ordinance were prompted by the rise of ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft.

State lawmakers in 2015 passed a bill to regulate ride-sharing providers. Charlotte officials now say they want to help even the competition between those services and traditional taxi cab companies. 

Among the proposed changes: cab drivers could charge passengers to recoup any City fees for picking up and dropping off passengers at Charlotte's airport. And, taxi operators would be allowed to install passenger infotainment systems, along with advertising mounted on the sides and roofs of cabs. 

The revised City ordinance would also change the requirements for criminal background checks for taxi drivers and company operators. State and national criminal background records would be required every three years. 

Also at Monday night's meeting, City Council members could approve $950,000 in spending for Discovery Place. The science and nature museum would use the money to develop a new Facilities Master Plan for potential expansion and upgrades envisioned under a broader plan to revitalize Uptown's North Tryon area.

Mark Rumsey grew up in Kansas and got his first radio job at age 17 in the town of Abilene, where he announced easy-listening music played from vinyl record albums.