SACRAMENTO — In the state Capitol, cachet is definitely cool. But, as Uber, Lyft and Sidecar leaders are learning, cash and connections are still king.
The road to ride-sharing regulation in California has been a rough one for these popular startups. The Public Utilities Commission is squeezing them from one side, threatening to require the app developers to take on big-time insurance burdens. The state Legislature is pushing them from the other, proposing similar insurance requirements plus some safety measures akin to those governing taxis.
