Stuck on or off campus and need a ride? You may be in luck.

Uber Technologies could soon be coming to Syracuse, which is good news for ride-sharing users, and for the local economy.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday there should be a statewide system for regulating ride-hailing companies. The comments come as New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Cuomo continue to butt heads over the concept of ride-hailing expanding into other cities in New York state, such as Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo.

But the debate is about more than just a ride-hailing service going statewide – this is about how overbearing government policies do more harm to people than good. By banning private industries, such as Uber Technologies, from being present in places like the central New York area, the state government is depriving people of jobs, opportunities for economic growth and competition among businesses.

As easy as the solution to this problem may sound, the legality of ride-hailing companies is what prevents their expansion to the whole state. The New York State Legislature has not granted all cities this same exemption to a statewide insurance law that bars the operation of ride-hailing businesses, including Uber and Lyft, that was given to the city that never sleeps.

This is a prime example of government policies halting innovation before it has the opportunity to make positive change. If anything, the government should be encouraging and promoting creativity within the marketplace, and they are doing the complete opposite by denying ride-hailing companies from expanding statewide.

The New York state government should take some advice from Syracuse University’s Student Association. In a recent New York Times article, SA President Aysha Seedat discussed the impending legislation to urge state lawmakers to permit ride-hailing services outside of New York City. Seedat noted that this would ease the burden on the limited number of taxis in the Syracuse area, which would ultimately promote campus safety.

While bringing these taxi alternatives to the region may seem as though they would take away jobs, they would do nothing of the sort. If anything, this will stabilize prices and promote competition between taxi companies and ride-hailing providers. Since the outsourcing of the various manufacturing companies and jobs that once existed in central New York, the people in major cities in the area, such as Rochester, Syracuse and Albany, are in dire need of economic revival.

Considering the city was ranked the 23rd poorest city in the country, according to data released last year by the U.S. Census Bureau, Syracuse needs the job creation powers of companies like Uber, which estimates that it creates over 20,000 jobs per month.

In addition, the region, in stark contrast to metropolitan Manhattan, lacks an efficient train system, making it difficult for people to travel without owning a vehicle.

Ride-hailing services could increase local tourism, especially among college students, as there are many local sites to see and things to do, but transportation plays a major obstacle in accessing them. While there are other services like buses, Amtrak and Zipcar, ride-hailing is hassle-free, simple to navigate and reliable.

The expansion of ride-hailing companies can be the answer central New York has been looking for. However, to deny these services is a slap in the face to innovation, the free-market and the Syracuse community at large.

Vanessa Salman is a junior political science major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at vksalman@syr.edu and followed on Twitter @VanessaSalman.

Published on October 28, 2015 at 12:30 am