Ashland city council moved closer to approving transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft at its Aug. 21 public meeting, making it likely that the ride-hailing services will be authorized to pick up riders in the city by the end of the year.

According to city administrator Kelly Madding, Ashland is following the precedent of other Oregon cities that have recently authorized ride-hailing, including Medford, Eugene and Portland.

“It is really about amending the current taxi cab regulation chapter to allow forms of vehicles for hire to operate within the city” said assistant city attorney Katrina Brown as she briefed the council.

She discussed how the major changes would include requirements for insurance and vehicle inspections before approving a driver, as well as a change in background check procedure. Currently taxi cab drivers have to do a fingerprint background test that can look back into their past with no time frame. The transportation network companies have requesting to match Medford’s requirements verbatim. This would mean that the third party would perform their own background check that can look back seven years. The city proposed the background check go back 10 years to ensure the safety of the town’s citizens

In public testimony, Ashland resident Bill Lankton recommended the city adopt Medford’s policy and try it for one year instead of continuing to do case studies to survey the transportation in Ashland.

“I think the services the transportation network companies would provide would be beneficial to the residents, tourists and visitors of the city of Ashland, as well as the students at SOU,” he said.

After short back and forth between the council members, they voted and passed this ordinance unanimously. Soon residents of Ashland will have a safe way to get to and from downtown and not have to spend years trying to find a spot to park in downtown