The war between app-based ride-sharing services Uber and Lyft and the state of Virginia is escalating.
Earlier this year, Virginia officials slapped the app-based services with more than $35,000 in civil penalties for operating with out proper permits. On Thursday, Richard D. Holcomb, commissioner of the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, sent a cease and desist letter to both companies.
“I am once again making clear that Uber must cease and desist operating in Virginia until it obtains proper authority,” Holcomb said in the letter.
Officials at both companies said they will continue to operate in the state, despite Thursday’s order.
“We’ve reviewed state transportation codes and believe we are following the applicable rules,” Lyft spokeswoman Chelsea Wilson said in an e-mailed statement. “We’ll continue normal operations as we work to make policy progress.