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San Francisco’s efforts to make Airbnb, FlightCar and the sharing economy legit
DestinationsSan Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee has long been outspoken in his support for new laws that would foster a thriving environment for the emerging sharing economy. How does he describe the laws that restrict the growth and legality of travel startups in the the Valley? “Outdated.” It turns out that other state stakeholders are open to the idea [...]
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San Francisco Airport tells six ride-sharing services to stay away
TransportSan Francisco International Airport hit six popular ride sharing services with cease-and-desist orders, barring them from picking up and dropping off passengers at the main airport for which many of these very same companies are based. Such services don’t have to jump through the same set of hoops the state requires of a traditional cab [...]
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SideCar won’t let a small matter like Austin laws stop its SXSW business
TransportSideCar and Lyft, two competing apps that allow citizens to offer rides in exchange for donations, will both be out in force at South By Southwest Interactive in Austin this year — even though local regulators have said that ride sharing apps are illegal in Austin. But while SideCar will be taking payments and arranging [...]
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Ride-sharing startup Lyft expands to LA after making deal with California regulators
TransportThere’s a ton of good news today for ride-sharing service Lyft. The company has struck a deal with the California Public Utilities Commission that will remove fines and allow it to continue operating in the state. It also announced plans this morning to expand its service to Los Angeles. The move into L.A. marks the first [...]
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San Francisco looks to legitimize ridesharing in a possible win for Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar
TransportState authorities will begin a formal investigation into how to regulate ride-sharing companies such as Lyft, Sidecar and Uber — an inquiry that could eventually legitimize the controversial businesses. For the past two years, the California Public Utilities Commission has struggled to provide oversight of the burgeoning industry…The commission has issued cease-and-desist orders to the [...]
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The growing pains of San Francisco’s app-driven amateur car service business
TransportLate for a pickup basketball game without a taxi in sight, San Francisco resident Shobeir Shobeiri summoned a nearby driver with a few taps on his smartphone. Five minutes later, Shobeiri, 31, found himself in the back seat of a silver Scion sporting a furry pink mustache on its front bumper. The car is one [...]
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Mozio launches site to ease flyers’ search for airport transportation
TransportMozio is attacking a new traveler pain point with the launch of its search site for ground transportation to and from city airports. The San Francisco startup aims to become the Expedia for ground transportation by comparing prices for all of the local transportation options available to arriving flyers. In San Francisco, that means that [...]
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From rooms to cars to bikes: How collaborative consumption took over Silicon Valley
Transport… It’s one of a flood of new startups that aim to create online and mobile social networks that let people share in the real world. There are apps that find and borrow power tools from your neighbors, that let you rent a nearby stranger’s car or hire someone close by to pick up dog food. You [...]
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Analogy for travel startups: Lyft is to car services as Airbnb is to hotels
TransportEach Lyft car has a unique pink mustache on the front of their vehicles. Its a cool branding point that serves a functional purpose in helping the rider find the car that is picking you up. Its unique and a smart touch, as I regularly had problems finding the SideCar or Uber that was for [...]
