The Syracuse University Student Association should work alongside other New York state institutions to lead the push to bring ride-hailing services to the state.

New York City is currently the only city in New York where these services are legal, as it was granted an exemption to a statewide insurance law that bars the operation of ride-hailing businesses, including Uber and Lyft.

Though the services cannot be introduced to Syracuse until the law is lifted, SA should advocate for the expansion of these services as they would benefit the safety and transportation convenience of students on college campuses across New York state.

To effectively generate pressure on the New York legislature, SA should work closely with peer student governments, including those of the University of Albany, the University at Buffalo and the University of Rochester, to push for a change in the current law. Together, they could present a more effective argument.

The availability of these services in New York state, including the Syracuse area, would provide students with an additional transportation option. This has the potential to bring down local instances of drunk driving and would help students avoid harsh weather conditions in the winter months, especially if campus shuttles are running infrequently.

Student Association President Aysha Seedat has said she is working with SA and university administrators about the prospect of bringing these services to SU and should continue to meet with university leaders to get SU behind the initiative.

“Not so often do you see SA getting involved in legislation and I think this would really be helpful, especially talking to local legislators about something like this and making a push for it,” Seedat said.

The push for these services is statewide as seen in a Change.org petition started two months ago by Rise Collaborative, a Western New York-based advocacy group. The petition was created in hopes of bringing ride-hailing services to various upstate New York cities, including Albany, Buffalo, Syracuse and Rochester, and has since acquired more than 1,700 signatures.

Though the services cannot be introduced until the insurance law is lifted, the combined pressure of student governments within these cities has the potential to change this legislation and ultimately improve safety and transportation accessibility for college students across New York state.

Published on September 15, 2015 at 11:46 pm

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