On Feb. 20, 2017, the legislature approved the Transportation Network Company Safety and Regulatory Act. The purpose of the act was to provide for the uniform regulation of digital network companies (such as Uber and Lyft), to protect the safety of their passengers and to require mandatory liability and UM/UIM coverage. P.L., 2017, c.26, effective May 1, 2017.
The act defines a “digital network” as any online technology that enables the prearrangement of rides between riders and drivers. A “transportation network company” is a business that uses a digital network to provide a prearranged ride between a driver and a rider. A “transportation network company driver” is a person who uses a personal vehicle to provide a prearranged rider to a rider. A “transportation network company rider” is a person who uses a digital network to obtain a prearranged ride from a driver.
