Making good on the Madison Police Department’s vow to crack down on Lyft and Uber drivers operating in the city, two drivers were cited over the weekend.
MPD’s report said two plain clothes officers took rides with the smartphone-based ride share companies before issuing citations. One took a ride valued at $14.35 Friday morning with an Uber driver from Odana Road to North Lake Street. A second officer took a $17 Lyft ride from the 2400 block of University Avenue to the Dane County Regional Airport.
The city attorney has said Uber and Lyft are operating illegally based on Madison’s taxi ordinances.
In the meeting last month where that decision was handed down, MPD Capt. Carl Gloede said drivers could face fines up to $700 if they continued to operate illegally. He also said the services’ apps, which work using geolocation, would make it easy for officers to find and cite offenders.
