The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority has signed permits for Lyft and Uber to operate as part of a pilot program at San Diego International (SAN). Both companies started service immediately, adding to that provided by Opoli.
“The airport authority always looks for ways to improve the customer experience for our passengers,” says Robert Gleason, airport authority board chairman. “We’re excited to offer the latest in-demand transportation options to the traveling public, and we’re doing so while keeping safety as a top priority.”
The airport authority has spent the past year drafting a permit for transportation network companies to offer service at SAN. The airport authority decided to remove the fingerprinting requirement from its background check process for some ground transportation providers; TNCs will conduct their own background checks for their drivers.
“SAN’s permitting policies for transportation network companies are stringent, and it has taken time to structure a mutually beneficial agreement,” says April Boling, an airport authority board member. “We have sought to ensure a level playing field for all of our commercial ground transportation providers, and I think the current permit achieves that goal. We can now offer a wide variety of ground-transportation options that passengers desire, and we look forward to cementing similar agreements with other TNCs in the near future.”
The decision to remove the fingerprinting requirement helped move the process forward and ultimately led to the issuance of the permits.
“After months of collaborative work toward a permitting agreement, we’re excited to announce that travelers will be able to request a Lyft ride at San Diego International Airport,” says Bakari Brock, Lyft’s director of business development. “We’d like to thank the airport authority board and SAN staff for welcoming ridesharing as a safe, reliable, and innovative transportation option for San Diego visitors and residents.”
The pilot program will run through June 30, 2016. At that time, the airport authority will assess how well it is working and decide whether any adjustments to the process or regulations need to be made.
“Riders and drivers in San Diego have made clear their desire for ridesharing options like Uber at San Diego Airport, as they have done at airports across the nation. We look forward to connecting San Diegans and visitors to safe, reliable and affordable rides to and from the airport,” says Christopher Ballard, general manager of Uber San Diego.
