Uber and Lyft drivers will not have to worry about being ticketed and towed by police in Newark as part of a crackdown that was supposed to start on Monday.

"The Port Authority Police Department will not take steps to prevent access to such services by passengers or others on the premises owned or leased by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey," the Port Authority said in a statement.

Uber and Lyft drivers do not have Newark taxi licenses, which are required to pick up fares around the city, including at the Newark Liberty International Airport and Newark Penn Station, which are operated by the Port Authority and NJ Transit, respectively.

In a letter to Uber's general counsel last month, Evans C. Anyanwu, Newark's chief prosecutor, said he was instructing police to step up enforcement -- including towing vehicles -- beginning Feb. 22, according to a report in The Record.

 

But the city's public safety director told NJ Advance Media Friday night that police would not begin cracking down on ride-sharing service drivers Monday until a meeting is held with Anyanwu and the city's corporation counsel.

"All taxis and limos will be treated fairly and we will not single out Uber for violations only," Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose told NJ Advance Media.

The Port Authority said it would work with Newark to resolve this issue.

"The Port Authority has a responsibility to provide safe and convenient services for travelers," the Port Authority said in its statement. "It also recognizes that it must partner with local municipalities, which host its facilities and will resolve any differences which may exist in a reasonable and fair manner."

In the letter to Uber's general counsel Salle Yoo, Anyanwu warned that "continued violation of the city's laws will result in civil and criminal penalties for Uber and its drivers," according to The Record's report.

Uber had said it would compensate its drivers for any fines or tow fees incurred by a crackdown.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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