Last week, the Public Utility Commission (PUC) sustained the $11 million fine it imposed against ride-sharing service Uber, voting 4-1 to deny reconsideration of its May 2016 order imposing this penalty against Uber for its unprecedented number of violations of PUC regulations, including operating without PUC authority via a certificate of public convenience.
The Commissioners voting to uphold the penalty stressed that Uber intentionally continued to commit regulatory violations and highlighted that it had reduced the $50 million penalty the Administrative Law Judges recommended in this proceeding.
Commissioner Powelson dissented, as he did to the PUC’s prior order, emphasizing his concern that the penalty is excessive and unfavorable to business innovation.
The PUC’s press release on this order provides an informative timeline of the Uber proceedings and links to Commissioner statements. For more details on prior Commonwealth Court and PUC decisions related to the civil penalty against Uber, see our “Uber Week for Uber in PA” blog.