Portland lawmakers are pursuing a measure they hope will boost wages for Uber and Lyft drivers by restricting how much the ride-hailing companies can collect on passenger trips. Those companies fiercely oppose the proposal and warn it could trigger a big increase in their prices; Uber says it might leave the city altogether.
The brewing fight is the latest chapter in years of bad blood between Portland officials and the ride-hailing giants, which date back to Uber’s contentious 2014 arrival in the city. Just last year, Portland slapped a $2-per-ride fee on such companies — one of the highest such fees anywhere.
Now, a pair of city councilors propose capping the companies’ portion of any fare to 20% after fees, down from what Councilor Steve Novick’s office says is an average of about 40% and often significantly higher…