Uber and Lyft are finally legal in Philadelphia

Never fear, Philly. Uber is here to stay.

On Friday, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed a bill allowing ride-sharing services to operate legally in Philadelphia.

The services had operated in Philadelphia long before this bill was signed, however, a temporary framework to legalize the practice expired in late September, leaving Uber and Lyft in limbo.

Ride-sharing was already legal throughout the rest of Pennsylvania, but rules of the Philadelphia Parking Authority — which governs taxis and limousines — held up similar agreements in the city.

Under the new bill, Uber, Lyft and any other ride-sharing companies will pay taxes to the Philadelphia Parking Authority. Some money will be diverted to the city's school system.

The bill also addresses requirements for background checks, insurance and other safety concerns involving drivers.

"The passage of a permanent framework for ride-sharing increases modern transportation options and economic opportunity across the state. It also ensures Philadelphia’s children and their public schools will benefit from additional funding generated from ride-sharing revenue," Sami Naim, Lyft's public policy manager, told Mashable in an emailed statement. "We thank Governor Wolf, as well supporters in the Pennsylvania state legislature, for passing this critical legislation. And we applaud the thousands of members of the Lyft community in Pennsylvania who made their voices heard and helped pass these common-sense rules.”

"This bill puts an end to any questions of these companies operating in our Commonwealth," the governor said at the bill signing, according to Philly.com, "and especially answers questions about their operations in Philadelphia."