Uber cuts off Bremerton, citing $75 license requirement

BREMERTON – The popular ride-sharing service Uber said it’s no longer doing business in Bremerton.

The Kitsap Sun reported that the company doesn’t like the city’s requirement that drivers obtain a $75 business license to operate there. Uber spokesman Michael Amodeo said the regulation makes it “very difficult, if not impossible, for ride-share services to thrive there.”

Bremerton City Attorney Roger Lubovich said the company’s position is perplexing. The city doesn’t make Uber, Lyft or similar companies abide by its regulations for taxicabs, but like anyone else doing business in Bremerton, Uber’s independent contractors must obtain a business license.

He noted that many other jurisdictions have similar rules, including Tacoma, where Uber instructs its drivers to obtain a city business license at $90 per year if the driver is making more than $12,000 a year.

The company’s decision means its drivers are unable to pick up fares in Bremerton.