Current town regulations governing taxicabs do not extend to riding sharing networks such as Uber, the West Tisbury town counsel said in an opinion this week.

Town counsel Ronald H. Rappaport provided the opinion after the selectmen requested it a few weeks ago, following the news that Uber planned to begin service on the Vineyard this summer. The online ride-sharing service is already operating on the Island in a limited way and plans to announce service more formally as the summer season gets under way. Taxi companies have raised vocal concern about the prospect of unregulated competition.

Mr. Rapapport said this week that current town taxi rules do not extend to so-called transportation network companies. “West Tisbury’s taxicab regulations . . . do not presently govern the operation of TNCs,” he wrote in the short opinion, announced by selectmen at their weekly meeting Wednesday. “The operative definitions and regulations are limited . . . . to taxis or taxicabs.” But he also said state law grants the selectmen the authority to create rules for ride-sharing services, with proper notice and public hearings. And he took special note of the bill to regulate TNCs from Gov. Charlie Baker, still pending in the state legislature. “Until the legislation is final and enacted into law, it’s too early to assess what impact the law may have, if any, on the town’s authority to regulate TNCs locally,” Mr. Rappaport wrote.

Selectmen had little discussion about the opinion except to say they had received it.

But one town taxi operator who attended the meeting questioned the opinion.

Benoit Baldwin, the owner of Alpha Taxi in West Tisbury, said the town of Braintree this week had issued a cease and desist letter to Uber based on existing taxi regulations.

“I would suggest another look at this issue,” Mr. Baldwin said.