Washington, D.C., was once one of the most ride-sharing-friendly cities in America. Nowadays, the city fines Empower—a peer-to-peer alternative to Uber and Lyft—tens of thousands of dollars per day for refusing to register with the Department of For-Hire Vehicles (DFHV) as a private for-hire vehicle company. The D.C. Council should consider the benefits of market competition and reevaluate whether penalizing market entrants truly serves the best interest of its constituents.
Empower's platform allows independent drivers to set their own rates and charges them a flat monthly user fee, unlike Uber and Lyft, which take a commission on every ride. Passengers using Empower can request a favorite driver or one of the same gender for added safety. The app delivers a win-win: drivers earn around 30 percent more compared to ride-sharing platforms, and riders save around 20 percent per trip, according to The New York Times.
