Hamptons Town Bans Uber

Finding a late night, reliable ride home this summer just got a lot more difficult.

Uber, the global on-demand ride app, has been banned from the Town of East Hampton, after the Town updated its licensing rules, stating that all Uber driver-partners are not permitted to operate in the Town without having a business license and office there.

“There is an unquestionable need and demand for Uber in the Hamptons because taxi service has been historically unreliable,” Uber spokeswoman Alix Anfang said in a statement. “Unfortunately the East Hampton town supervisor and town board have changed the rules, banning Uber from the town and denying their constituents access to our service.”

Since Uber drivers are independent contractors, to operate in East Hampton, which spans from Wainscott to Montauk, each driver would have to have their own business license and physical address in the town.

Many Uber users took to social media to voice their anger about the new ban, including a few well-known fans. “I am trying to be a responsible citizen. I don’t drink & drive. Plz don’t ban my designated driver in EHampton,” tweeted Andy Cohen, host of Bravo TV’s “Watch What Happens Live.”