A Tampa Bay man is urging people to support his petition to keep Uber and Lyft in the Tampa Bay area.
John McMahan started a petition on change.org and more than 1,200 people have signed it. The petition asks support from the mayor and he hopes more people sign it.
"I really wanted to get everyone to sign this petition," McMahan said.
McMahan uses Uber and Lyft and he does not want someone to take that option away from him.
"I'm hoping that the petition helps share the voice of the public," McMahan said.
Mayor Bob Buckhorn said he is as frustrated as McMahan over the situation because he uses ride sharing services too. He wants to continue to see ride sharing options in the area.
"I think it needs to be here and I want it to be here. Unfortunately the PTC has a different opinion," Mayor Buckhorn said.
Read or Sign the Petition Here
The PTC told ABC Action News, Monday afternoon, they want to be clear they are not trying to shut down Uber and Lyft. They said they want ride-sharing services to undergo level 2 background checks and for ASE mechanics to inspect the cars used from these services.
"Rules are rules and everybody should follow the rules. If you have to go through this puddle, I don't know why the other companies should not go through the same puddle," Bash Hussain said.
Hussain is a driver for Yellow Cab. He said they have a number of requirements like paying fees, a uniform, insurance, and they want to make sure everyone is on an even playing field. He said he wants everything to be fair.
The PTC has a workshop early next month where the proposed rule changes will be discussed.
