Legislation Targets Ride-Sharing Companies at Local Airports
BOSTON — An amendment to the House's transportation bill passed Wednesday would allow Cape and Islands airports to assess a fee on pickups by ride-sharing companies such as Uber and Lyft.
The change would bring the region's airports in line with the state's other major airports, which were given the authority to charge ride-sharing companies in 2016, said the local legislator that fought for the amendment.
"This legislation is about making sure the Cape and Islands are treated equally when it comes to state policy," said state Rep. Dylan Fernandes, D-Woods Hole.
Currently, only Massachusetts Port Authority airports — Logan, Worcester Regional and Hanscom Field — have the ability to charge ride-sharing companies fees for giving rides at the airports.
But the four main airports in the region, Barnstable, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and Provincetown, are not run by Massport and were not included in the 2016 transportation network company regulations.
This was a loophole that excluded the Cape and Islands airports even when they can be busier than their mainland counterparts, Fernandes said.
"After Boston Logan, Nantucket airport is the busiest airport in Massachusetts and the Vineyard and Cape airports are not far behind," he said. "Airports in our region deserve to be empowered by the state with the same rights as Massport airports."
In 2017, Nantucket Memorial Airport had about 127,000 passengers, more than Worcester and Hanscom combined, said Noah Karberg, assistant manager of the Nantucket Memorial Airport. Should the amendment pass, the airport could net as much as $80,000 annually, he said.
"Rep. Fernandes came to bat today for Cape and Islands airports," Karberg said. "This amendment is a win-win-win. Airport sponsors, airport businesses, and airport passengers can all now work together to enable customer choice in a safe and fair environment for all involved."
Nantucket has strict taxi rules and drivers pay $200 to $300 per year to pick up passengers in the area immediately in front of the airport. Uber and Lyft drivers have to pick up passengers in the parking lot and, with the amendment, would be assessed about $3.25 per pickup, Karberg said.
"We want them all on a level playing field," he said.
The issue seems to have been an oversight, as the previous transportation network legislation didn't contemplate the need to regulate ride-sharing companies at municipal and county airports, said state Sen. Julian Cyr, D-Truro, who supports the change.
"I'll be working to have this language adopted when the Senate takes up transportation reform in the coming weeks," he said.
Follow Ethan Genter on Twitter: @EthanGenterCCT.
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