Uber and Lyft will soon start picking up passengers at Los Angeles International. (Image: NTSB)
Los Angeles International Airport will become the largest in the country to allow passenger pick-ups by ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft following a final vote of approval this week by the Los Angeles City Council. Uber still has to apply for a permit under new rules and while no firm start date has been set, service could commence “in coming weeks.”
Earlier, the ride-sharing services were expected to start full operation at LAX in August, but that was pushed back after the city council got involved.
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Once LAX officials finalize operating contracts with the companies, the pick-ups could begin within a matter of weeks. A ride from LAX to downtown that costs $50 in a licensed taxi is expected to run about $30 in an UberX or Lyft car — or more in periods of peak demand, according to the Los Angeles Times.
There was some uneasiness among city council members about the qualifications — or lack of qualifications — required of ride-share drivers, so the council will ask the state’s Public Utilities Commission to demand fingerprinting and background checks of all for-hire drivers.
Uber and Lyft would be also required to pay the airport a $4 fee for each pick-up and drop-off at LAX; drivers will have to do both on the airport’s upper departure level, and will have to wait in a specified holding area until they are summoned by a customer.
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