TOLEDO, OH (Toledo News Now) - It all starts with your smart phone. Lyft is an app you download and the home screen allows you to see where the nearest drivers are. To request a ride from those drivers, you just hit a button.
You may have seen cars cruising the Glass City with fuzzy pink mustaches. They're all part of the new ridesharing program.
"It's awesome. People contact me for rides and I pick them up," said Shayna Lohbauer, Lyft driver.
People from the Toledo area can sign up to be drivers with Lyft. The company then does criminal and traffic background checks and inspects their car. If they pass, they'll start showing up on your phone as an available driver.
Lohbauer says the program has only been in Toledo for about two weeks, but it already has traction.
"I've taken people to go job hunting, I've taken people to coffee shops, to restaurants, everywhere, wherever they need to go," said Lohbauer.
You need to attach a Facebook profile and credit card to your account before using the app. Lohbauer says she does this as a second job and that the best part isn't the money.
"Definitely meeting new people. The conversations you can have in such a short period of time is just incredible," said Lohbauer.
Lyft operates in 60 US cities. Company leaders say they chose Toledo as one of those cities because of the strong community roots, hometown pride, and number of people who rely heavily on their own cars to get around
In terms of regulation Lyft representatives say the peer-to-peer business model does not fit into existing regulations for taxis and limos.
To learn more visit lyft.com
