Having another public transportation option in Lawrence might be a good thing, but city officials are right to be cautious about the announced entry of the Uber “ride sharing” service into the local market.

The Uber system uses a cell phone application to connect people who need a ride with drivers who use their private vehicles to provide those rides. It’s sort of like a taxi service but is less formal, and at least for now, far less regulated than a taxi service. Many Uber drivers operate on a sporadic schedule, offering rides only on weekends or certain hours of the day. Cities are struggling to find ways to accommodate the lower-cost service while protecting the safety of riders and the business model of traditional taxi services.

The Kansas Legislature even got into the act, passing legislation that would require drivers to submit to background checks by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and show they have at least a minimum level of insurance coverage. Gov. Sam Brownback vetoed the bill in the name of free enterprise, but lawmakers say they will attempt to override that veto during their wrap-up session.

If that legislation becomes law, Lawrence city officials probably won’t have to consider additional regulations to cover Uber or other similar businesses, but, if not, they and officials in other Kansas cities will have to try to figure out where to draw the line. Kansas City, Mo., recently negotiated a deal in which the city agreed to lower its proposed fees for individual drivers and Uber agreed to share driver background check information with the city.

It’s possible to adopt a “buyer beware” attitude toward ventures like Uber and leave it up to riders to choose whether they trust a mostly unregulated service or want to stick with more traditional taxi companies. However, it probably is in the public’s interest to make sure that Uber drivers have been screened to weed out people who may pose a safety threat. Having basic liability insurance also seems like a reasonable requirement.

Even with such regulations, however, local taxi companies say the playing field wouldn’t be level, unless Uber drivers are required to operate for a minimum number of hours each week. It would be unfair, they contend, to let Uber drivers drop into the market only during the most profitable times, such as weekends or late at night and not be required to provide rides, as taxi companies are, during less profitable hours.

At this point, Lawrence officials are waiting to see what happens to the state law. If the governor’s veto stands, the city will need to see what other similar communities are doing to accommodate Uber while also enforcing reasonable regulations.