The Houston Airport System (HAS) recommends that City Council approve an ordinance amending Chapter 9 of the City of Houston Code of Ordinances relating to ground transportation.
Chapter 9, Article II, Division 3 provides regulations for ground transport operations at HAS airports. Following City Council’s recent approval of revisions to Chapter 46 of the City of Houston Code of Ordinances pertaining to Transportation Network Companies (TNCs), HAS now seeks approval to amend Chapter 9 to allow for the operation of TNCs at George Bush Intercontinental Airport/Houston (IAH) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU). Highlights of the proposed amendments to Chapter 9 are summarized below.
- TNCs and their drivers and vehicles must be in compliance with Chapter 46 and be approved for a non-transferable airport use permit to operate at HAS airports.
- TNCs shall create and maintain a “geofence” (virtual perimeter) that complies with HAS Operating Instruction to track and report the monthly activity of TNC vehicles at any City airport. A TNC’s mobile application technology must not show available vehicles within the geofence boundary surrounding an airport, except in designated TNC commercial vehicle waiting areas. A TNC’s mobile application technology must capture vehicle movements into and out of the boundaries to allow for tracking of trips from the airport. Each TNC shall (i) demonstrate to the HAS director that the airport’s designated goefenced area has been incorporated into its mobile application technology and (ii) ensure TNC drivers comply with all City and airport requirements.
- TNC drivers waiting for a fare through a TNC’s mobile application technology shall wait in the designated geofenced TNC waiting area on airport property or outside the geofence.
- TNC drivers may pick up pre-arranged passengers only at designated TNC pick-up areas at airport terminal commercial curbs.
- TNCs shall pay trip fees in the amount of $2.75 per departure from IAH and $1.25 per departure from HOU. Trip fees shall be assessed when entering an airport’s designated geofenced area for the purpose of picking up a passenger.
- All commercial business entities and vehicles permitted to access any HAS airport are subject to inspection and audits to ensure compliance with Chapter 9.
- The HAS director may limit either the number of permits or the access afforded to commercial business entities due to limitations in the availability of curbside space or parking and staging in applicable staging lots, garages and holding areas.
- The HAS director may, without cost to a commercial business entity, cause an inspection and audit to be made of the books and records of the commercial business entity to determine the correctness of the computation of fees paid to HAS.
HAS anticipates at least two companies, Uber (operating UberX) and Lyft, will apply for permits to operate at HAS airports.
In developing these amendments, HAS communicated extensively with the
ARA Department, Legal Department and also with taxi drivers, taxi company representatives and TNC representatives.
These amendments were presented to the Transportation, Technology and Infrastructure Committee on October 30, 2014.