Excerpted from mypanhandle.com, by Kirsten Mitchell
Ride sharing companies like Uber and Lyft have driven around Bay County, Florida since March. The services give residents alternative transportation options on their phone just with the tap of a finger.
In July, the senate passed legislation requiring rides sharing companies across the state to all adhere to the same regulations in hopes of increasing rider and driver safety.
Now, the state law has set guidelines for background checks, set an insurance minimum and outlined a zero-tolerance policy for drugs and alcohol. Previously, local governments like ones in Bay County and Panama City Beach could pass their own ordinances. This posed several problems. Uber drivers at times had to switch rules and regulations as they traveled from city to city.
You can read the full story here.