Heavily regulated Boston cab owners last week filed a federal lawsuit against city and state regulators they charge have put them at a competitive disadvantage by letting Uber, Lyft and similar concerns steal their business.

In their lawsuit, filed in US District Court, the Boston Taxi Owners Association and two individual medallion owners charge the city is ruining their investments in expensive medallions by letting ride-share or "transportation network companies" pick up passengers for hire without any similar investment.

A City Council committee today began figuring out how to regulate ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft, in a hearing that overflowed from the council chambers to two other hearing rooms and the hallways on the fifth floor of City Hall as cab drivers, Lyft drivers and Uber fans sought to show their support for one mode of transportation over the other.

By Elijah Kaplan, SNN reporter

Somerville, MA, Oct. 21 –New, relatively unregulated “ride sharing” transportation companies like Uber and Lyft earn the praise of travelers but are prompting protests from traditional taxi drivers and others.

Across the country, and the world, the media, public officials and others are discussing how to regulate the multi-million dollar industry. Some places – like Germany – have banned the service altogether. In Somerville and the Greater Boston Area, discussions are underway, but so far no regulations, much less bans, have been announced.