Uber Supporters Rally at State House

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Columbia , S.C. (WOLO) — On Tuesday afternoon, dozens of Uber supporters rallied inside the State House urging lawmakers to pass a bill that would allow the ride-sharing app service to continue operating in the Palmetto State. The ride-sharing app service is currently operating temporarily in the state until June 30th. If a bill doesn’t pass this session, officials said it could force the company to stop services in South Carolina. “As a blind man, transportation has always been an obstacle for me,” said Uber rider Thom Spittle. For Spittle, the ease of clicking an app and getting time alerts, makes using a ride-sharing app like Uber an easy choice to get around. “Today, I knew my ride was going to be 7 minutes so I just waited in my house so when I got the message I had one minute left or it was arriving, I could walk out and there was my Uber,” explained Spittle. But the clock is ticking. In roughly 48 hours, the simplicity of getting a ride could change. With just 2 days left in this years legislative session, Spittle and dozens of Uber supporters rallied inside the State House to urge lawmakers to pass a bill allowing ride-sharing app companies like Uber to operate legally in the Palmetto State. “I do really enjoy doing Uber, it has helped my family out a whole lot and I do appreciate it,” said Uber driver Tony Dozier. The House passed the bill earlier this year. It would allow Uber to continue operating in the state with stricter conditions, such as requiring drivers to get a permit from the Office of Regulatory Staff. However now, there’s a gridlock in the Senate. Senator Joel Lourie said there are still some concerns holding things up. “I want to make sure that at the end of the day, we’ve got to find a way to mesh new technology and a new business model with the best interest of the consumers, particularly from a safety standpoint,” explained Senator Lourie. Senator Lourie said they’ve had many conversations over the past several days about the legislation. He said there is a good chance the bill will be passed as early as Wednesday.