Agency must OK driverless Uber carsPITTSBURGH — The state agency that regulates taxicabs and transportation businesses says it doesn’t have jurisdiction over free trips in self-driving cars being offered by Uber, but it will once the company starts charging.The Public Utility Commission said Thursday that it wants a review of the regulatory, legal and technical issues raised by autonomous vehicles.Uber began a test program of the vehicles in Pittsburgh on Wednesday.The regulatory agency says any business that wants to transport people for money has to prove it’s safe and get approval before starting the service.The ride-hailing company is offering free rides by invitation, with human drivers along as a safety precaution.The state Transportation Department is currently looking at the issues through the Autonomous Vehicle Task Force, established in June.

Judicial retirement likely to be ballotHARRISBURG — A proposed constitutional amendment to let judges serve five more years before mandatory retirement appears headed for a statewide vote in November after another divided ruling by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.The justices voted 4-2 Friday against a request by two retired justices and an attorney who argued the court’s 3-3 tie on Sept. 2 should have sent the matter to a lower court for more proceedings.The new ruling clears the way for voters to decide if the retirement age should increase from 70 to 75.Justices Debra Todd and David Wecht say they’d have Commonwealth Court make a “prompt and definitive resolution ... of this critically important constitutional question.”Voters narrowly defeated the proposed amendment in April, but lawmakers had already invalidated that vote.

Bridge to remain closed for repairs,/b>PITTSBURGH — State transportation authorities say a major bridge into downtown Pittsburgh closed after a construction fire will remain closed indefinitely due to additional emergency repairs.The Liberty Bridge has been closed since Sept. 2. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation officials had planned to open the 2,600-foot-long bridge on Monday but are delaying the opening while work is done to ensure it is safe.PennDOT district executive Dan Cessna declined to give a future reopening date, saying the repairs could take weeks but not months.The fire began on plastic pipes and a construction tarp as crews were cutting steel as part of an $80 million reconstruction project. Authorities said the flames damaged a steel beam critical to the stability of the bridge, which spans the Monongahela River.College coaches give strike approvalHARRISBURG — Coaches at Pennsylvania’s 14 state universities, including Slippery Rock University, have voted to call for a strike, but the union representing them says it will continue contract talks.The Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties say 94 percent of the union coaches who voted favored authorizing a strike. The union said Friday coaches want to negotiate health care, the sport elimination process and employment nonrenewal procedure.The union represents about 5,500 faculty and coaches at Slippery Rock, Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg and West Chester universities. Faculty union members already have authorized a strike.Members have been working under contracts that expired June 30 of last year.But state system spokesman Kenn Marshall has said a strike could harm students.