Here's my e-mail. Might be too personal for others' use but wanted to get away from the typical bullet-pointed arguments I'm sure they're aware of.
Dear PTC members:
As a frequent user of Uber I am disappointed to hear of the PTC's attempts to create regulations which would effectively push Uber and Lyft out of the County.
This move will hurt the County. Here's what it was like before ride-sharing came to Tampa, when all we had were the Taxi companies:
It's 12:30am at a bar in Ybor and I've had too much to legally drive home. I call one of the taxi company's dispatch centers and they tell me that the wait will be 45 minutes. With no other choice I accept. I ask the lady on the phone if the driver will accept credit cards. "Of course," she assures me.
45 minutes later and the cab is not here. I call back to check on the status. Apparently someone on the Ybor strip hailed the driver before he could get to my location and then he left with his newfound fare. "We'll send you another," she says. After another 30 minutes my new car finally arrives.
The car's interior is dirty, but at least I finally have a ride. We set off on the 11-mile trip home to Temple Terrace. I watch as the meter climbs to $15.00, now $20.00, and eventually $34.00 according to Yellowcab of Tampa's fare calculator, before tipping the driver. Uber would have been $12-$17 total per their fare calculator.
Now it comes time to pay. The driver groans and whinges when he sees my credit card, "Uh, my machine is down. Cash only". I insist that the dispatcher said they would take credit cards. He shakes his head and mumbles something. "Fine, take me to an ATM". He drives me to the closest 7-11, my fare increasing, and I withdraw the cash. I pay him the inflated fare and he can't even break change so I end up tipping him more than I would have liked.
This is how Tampa taxi companies operate. They were like this before ride-sharing services because they had no competition and they will continue to be like this. I don't care what you need to do to satisfy your regulatory obligations; just make it so that we don't have to put up with this anymore.
We live in a sprawling County with horrible public transportation options. And Tampa has been trying to revitalize the city, trying to become more nationally relevant. It would be a step backwards to push Uber and Lyft out of the county.
Please find a solution.
Best,