Uber, Lyft Post-Election Austin Exodus Doesn't Mean You Can't Get Around Town

AUSTIN, TX -- The ride-sharing firms of Uber and Lyft made good on their threat to cease operations in Austin if Proposition 1 -- whose passage would've allowed them to draft their own rules related to driver security checks -- were defeated.

Well, Prop 1 was defeated during the special election on Saturday, with 55.8 percent of registered voters casting ballots against the measure and 44.2 percent voting for it. The results mean that the electorate agreed with city officials that fingerprinting drivers should be part of the background check for ride-sharing company drivers -- a major point of contention for Uber and Lyft, who vehemently opposed subjecting their drivers to being fingerprinted.

The companies' resistance to fingerprinting runs counter to an existing statute requiring all manner of drivers -- including those operating modern-day rickshaws called pedicabs -- to have their fingerprints on file.

After the votes were tallied following Saturday's election, officials at both Uber and Lyft expressed their disappointment at the outcome, and made good of their threat to stop operating within the city as a result. (Read Patch's Prop 1 election story that included ride-sharing firms' prepared statements here.)

The firms' sudden shutdown after not getting their way at the polls -- a threat they made just hours before the election -- has sparked something of a social media firestorm among ride-sharing fans. Their posts are infused with anxiety after the sudden departure of the convenient, app-aided ride-sharing services on which they had come to rely.

But the sky is not falling. Despite the post-election exodus of Lyft and Uber, there are several ways to get around town and other apps that can be downloaded to secure a ride to one's destination.

The most visible of these app-operated businesses is GetMe, whose executives have all along agreed to submit drivers to fingerprinting in adherence to existing city statutes. The company has operated quietly in Austin in the shadows of its bigger Uber and Lyft competitors, given its smaller fleet.

It's hard to conceive Uber and Lyft definitively leaving Austin given the lucrative nature of the bustling city that has enriched their bottom line. Such an exodus over a disagreement over background checks would seem antithetical to a business enterprise, and city officials are still hopeful the companies will re-engage in negotiations with the city to accommodate their operations.

But assuming they were to depart, GetMe is there to get you, and the company would likely expand its fleet size to fill the void.

The Austin American-Statesman found other apps that can be used to get around:

• Wingz: This app is limited to getting to and from the airport, but still. The app was launched the same day Uber and Lyft "ceased operations" after voters opted for robust background checks. It's a partnership between the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and smartphone app Wingz offering rides to and from the airport.
• CapMetro: Some people are averse to taking the bus to get to and from with their preconceived notions of poor scheduling, cramped conditions, limited service and other drawbacks. But today's bus system is not your grandfather's bus system -- there's an app for it. Bus passes spanning from a full day to a month can be gotten with a credit card or PayPal when using the app. Once downloaded, users input their location, destination and other key travel data.
• Hailacab: This app comes from the the Yellow Cab taxi folks that millennials sometimes view as outdated. But it operates much the same way as Uber and Lyft. And here's something for those averse to having their funds deducted automatically by Uber and Lyft after putting the data of their charge or credit cards on file: After pressing the "Book Taxi" key, users can choose either a cash or credit option. Another neato feature to the app: One can book a taxi for a different day or time, and request a specific type of vehicle, the Austin American-Statesman notes.
• Car2go is a little trickier. First, it takes a few days to get approval since this involves people actually driving those tiny cars in distinctive blue and white that you've likely seen (or used) zipping across the city. What's more, this is transportation intended to take one from Point A to Point B, mind you, and the tiny cars are not meant to impress a love interest if you were them on the first date.

But then again, if the person judges you on your ride, then what does that say about...but we digress. Car2go requires a signup fee of $35, and charges 41 cents a minute.