After reading the post on Uber yesterday (see here), a BRO reader sent along an email notifying us that a ride-share company with a similar business model (but not as high end) has recently added Buffalo to its territories. It’s called Lyft. The affordable and efficient service hooks people up with friendly, reliable drivers from their community. It’s like the hipster version of Uber.
For those who don’t own a car, this is an easy way to get around town, where others do the driving for you. The Lyft concept was generated due to 80% of car seats on the road being empty at any given time. The Lyft smartphone app allows anyone to connect with reliable drivers at inexpensive rates. Drivers are given comprehensive background checks, and their vehicles are inspected for safety. All drivers are properly insured too.
The Lyft vehicles are easy to identify. The cars sport large pink mustaches on their front grills – known as mustache taxis. As for pricing, you can see their local rates by clicking here. According to Lyft, drivers can make as much as $35 per hour (see here). There’s no exchange of money in the car – Lyft takes care of everything on the financial end (meaning that there’s less hassle to deal with, and increased safety for the drivers). Riders can see the driver’s profile picture, and he or she can see yours, and the locator tracks how far he or she is away from you. Drivers make their own schedules and take 80% commission plus all tips.
Similar to the Uber model, there is a rating system. In this case, passengers rate the drivers and the drivers rate the passengers. If a passenger doesn’t like the driver, then the two will never be paired again, and a bad rating reflects the ability of the driver to operate down the road. It’s a win-win for drivers and passengers. Plus, according to Lyft, it’s a great way to make new friends in your community.
Happy Lyfting Buffalo!