Well, that didn't take too long.
A little over one week since Uber and Lyft announced their return to Austin, Fare has closed up shop due to a significant decrease in business. In a heartfelt email, the company thanked the city for its support since Fare launched in May 2016, but said that "Sadly, the time has come to say goodbye. Unfortunately we are unable to endure the recent loss of business." Their Facebook page has already been deactivated.
Another popular rideshare, Ride Austin, hasn't thrown in the towel yet, but there has been a hard push to remind customers about their commitment to Austin. An email from the company was sent out on June 1 with the subject line "We had Austin's back, do you have ours?" The email addressed Ride Austin's charitable contributions, but stressed that since Lyft and Uber's return, they had seen a 36% decline in ride volume. There was also a plea: "We need your help to keep our local nonprofit alive!"
Fasten also sent its customers an email with news that they had dropped their rates, along with a chart showing the comparison between their company and Uber and Lyft.
Have you been using Lyft and Uber since they came back into Austin? Let us know how it's going in the comments below!
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