Über was supposed to begin rides-by-phone-app in Fayetteville this weekend, beginning with free ride offers as an introductory lure.
No word yet if the constabulary has busted anyone yet. But it would take an exchange of money for the service to enter into the car-for-hire realm that Fayetteville city officials say triggers required permitting, which Uber hasn’t sought.
A communication from Fayetteville police to me made clear the outlook:
Uber is not legal to operate in the city. There was previous correspondence to their headquarters to that effect from our city attorney. Their drivers would be subject to three citations because they don’t have a driver’s permit, their vehicles are not inspected and decaled, and their company is not permitted.
I turn to digital crowd-sourcing: Anybody get an Uber ride in Fayetteville this weekend? Hear of any interaction with the police?
(About that headline: Lyft is the name of another car-sharing service. It has expressed some interest in entering the Arkansas market, but hasn’t arrived yet so far as we know.)