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Lyft pulling up stakes unless paid ride rules change
By Dug Begley | October 29, 2014 | Updated: October 29, 2014 3:40pm
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Photo By Mayra Beltran/StaffYounus Hyder, a Lyft driver, prepares the company's iconinc pink moustache for the front of his vehicle outside Houston City Hall on Aug. 5.
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Photo By Andrew Harrer/BloombergThe Lyft application is demonstrated on an Apple iPhone 5s during a Lyft ride for an arranged photograph in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, July 9, 2014. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg)
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Photo By Siana Hristova/The ChronicleRide-sharing services like Uber and Lyft are growing in popularity across the country, as people use the apps to line up rides.Click through for 16 things to know about the cool new taxi alternatives.
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Photo By David Liu/Getty Images1. They're expanding quicklyAfter launching in 2009, Uber already has a presence in 70 U.S. cities and 36 countries.
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Photo By Martin Meissner/STR2. It's easy to sign upThe Uber and Lyft apps are both available for Apple and Android devices, and you sign up with a credit card.
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Photo By by nacoki ( MEDIA ARC )/Getty Images/Flickr RF3. You can summon a car from the appNo more waiting out on the street corner to hail a cab.
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Photo By File4. You can track the car's approachThe app will give you an estimated wait time, as well as a map view of your approaching ride.
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Photo By PAUL J. RICHARDS/Staff5. There are no surprisesUber gives you a ride estimate before you confirm your car request, so you'll know what your bill should be at the end of the trip.
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Photo By San Antonio Express-News6. The drivers are just like youBoth Uber and Lyft drivers use their personal vehicles for ride sharing. Driving for both services doesn't require an extra permit or taxi-type license, but Lyft does provide background checks and Facebook verification for its drivers.
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Photo By San Antonio Express-News7. They're easy to spotUber cars are unmarked, but Lyft cars come adorned with fuzzy pink mustaches. Lyft riders are also sent a photo of their driver and vehicle upon car request, so you'll know who and what to expect.
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Photo By Autumn Driscoll8. You'll know when your driver arrivesUber sends a text message as well as a notification within the app when your driver has arrived to pick you up.
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Photo By San Antonio Express-News file photo9. There are different types of rides
Uber offers their most economical UberX (various cars), traditional Black Car, SUV, LUX, and Uber Taxi (partnered with typical taxi drivers). Lyft just has one level of ride-sharing, all marked with the pink mustache.
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Photo By File10. They'll use GPSAll Uber and Lyft drivers will get you to your destination via the app's route, based on the end point you input when summoning the car.
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Photo By Houston Chronicle11. The prices fluctuateUber uses "surge pricing" during inclement weather, holidays, and events to cope with demand. Lyft also uses a price increase during their "prime time pricing" periods.
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Photo By PAUL J. RICHARDS/Staff12. Paying is easyBoth apps are cashless, so you won't have to deal with paying your driver. The apps automatically charge your credit card on file once your ride is complete. There's also no need to tip unless you want to. Uber takes 20 percent of the fare and the rest goes to the driver.You can also easily split fares with a friend within the app as long as they're an Uber customer as well.
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Photo By Cnet13. You'll be emailed a receiptNo need to clutter up your pockets with paper receipts.
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Photo By Handout14. All is not lostIf you leave something behind in your ride's vehicle, Uber's service "Uber Lost" can provide a history of recent rides to help you track down your property.
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Photo By Business Insider15. It can be creepyThere have been reported instances of drivers using a customer's information to contact and sexually harass them. Uber attempts to combat this by scrambling customers' numbers and will deactivate a driver's account (essentially firing them) if they receive multiple complaints.
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Photo By JEFF ESTEP/TRANSIT PLUMBING16. It's controversialSince Uber and Lyft are skirting strict taxi service regulations by claiming to be nothing more that a facilitation service between riders and third party drivers, there have been lawsuits filed by taxi organizations lobbying for the car sharing services to be regulated just as heavily. In the photo above, traditional taxi drivers attend a pro-Lyft rally, holding photos of a young girl who was kidnapped and murdered by an off-duty Uber driver.
Less than a week before new regulations regarding paid rides in Houston take effect, one of two companies that launched in the city is preparing to stop providing rides rather than use a city-required procedure to conduct background checks.
“We’ve made the very difficult decision that if Houston doesn’t amend its process, we’ve decided we have no choice but to pause operations,” said David Estrada, vice-president of government operations for Lyft.
The California company and its competitor Uber charged into Houston in February, hoping to persuade Houston officials to modify paid ride rules to accommodate them. The City Council revised the rules in August, setting up a process by which the companies could continue to operate.
Lyft and Uber connect riders with drivers using their personal vehicles via smartphone app.
The rules set to go into effect Tuesday include requirements that drivers present their vehicle for inspection, submit a warrant check and personal information to the city and undergo drug screening.
Many of the rules duplicate what the companies already do, but the procedures are not exactly the same. While the companies use online background checks, Houston requires applicants to use the state’s fingerprint-based background check company.
"We have found a more efficient way to do these things,” said David Mack, Lyft’s director of public affairs. “We’re not suggesting the barriers to enter the market should be lower, we’re saying it adds a lot of friction for the drivers to not make the system the best way moving forward.”
Estrada said the company will ask the city to delay implementing the rules. If it does not do so, he said, Lyft will cease operations in Houston until the process can be streamlined.
City officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
“Houston is one market, but our goal is ride-sharing across America,” Estrada said. “We want to be in every market, but we have come to the decision we want to take a stand.”