Once young upstarts in the ridesharing community themselves, companies Uber and Lyft have in recent years seen a wave of backlash directed at them. Originally and primarily from taxi companies, they've also seen a rash of government enforcement of regulations that have effectively crippled the ridesharing services' ability to offer rides to people in certain communities. In the city of Austin, Texas, for example, both Uber and Lyft ride-sharing services have stopped operating after voters in the usually liberal city rejected a ballot measure that would've allowed the companies to regulate themselves. The vote had 56% supporting tighter regulations, with 44% opposed. Austin's mayor had this to say on the matter:
"The people have spoken tonight loud and clear. Uber and Lyft are welcome to stay in Austin, and I invite them to the table regardless. Austin is an innovative and creative city, and we'll need to be at our most creative and innovative now."
