Title
Authorizing the Committee on Labor and Civil Service and the Committee on Transportation to hold joint hearings regarding the arrival of driverless rideshare vehicles in the City of Philadelphia and its impact on labor, the local economy, and public safety.
Body
WHEREAS, Over 60,000 Philadelphians depend on income provided by rideshare rides to make a living, including thousands who supplement their salaries and pensions; and
WHEREAS, The entrance of driverless vehicles to the Philadelphia market threatens to destabilize our existing Taxi and ride-hailing industries and these new vehicles can only grow at the expense of existing service providers; and
WHEREAS, Data from cities where driverless vehicles operate shows significant harm to rideshare driver earnings, with hourly pay falling dramatically within one year; and
WHEREAS, Our Taxi and ride-hailing industries have become reliable, positive employment for newly arrived citizens and immigrant communities, who are disproportionately impacted by automation in the transportation sector; and
WHEREAS, Income earned by taxi and rideshare drivers is spent directly in Philadelphia neighborhoods, at local grocery stores, restaurants, childcare providers, and small businesses, creating an economic multiplier effect that benefits our entire community; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia's taxi and rideshare drivers contribute to City tax revenues through wage taxes, business income and receipts taxes, and related economic activity, while driverless vehicles are operated by out-of-state corporations with no local employees, would generate significantly less tax revenue even as it displaces thousands of taxpaying workers; and
WHEREAS, Driverless cars may not be able to safely navigate our many narrow streets, aging traffic infrastructure, and challenging weather conditions, raising the potential for traffic disruption and public safety hazards; and
WHEREAS, Since July 2021, driverless vehicles have been involved in ov...
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