Cities and municipalities know they need to regulate the rideshare industry but have only recently taken steps to do so. Beyond obvious safety concerns, regulators need to tread carefully when trying to balance public concerns related to transit and mobility with private enterprise and independent contractor status.

At the same time, drivers constitute only one piece of the ride hailing puzzle. Drivers are not a monolith, as much as they may seem, and have competing priorities among themselves. From driver protests to organized driver groups like the Independent Drivers Guild, Rideshare Drivers United and Gig Workers Rising, drivers are coming together and demanding changes – but not all of these changes are supported by all drivers.

In terms of fundamental regulation for the ride hail industry, there are two main issues: insurance and wages. In these cases, regulators can have a real impact, and there is ample opportunity for regulators to get in early and set the tone. This chapter will delineate the path of ride hail regulation, how regulators can fix erroneous regulations and how to prevent future errors.