The murmerings about Uber and Lyft coming back to Austin started last week, but now it's official: As of Monday, the ridesharing giants will be up and running in the Texas capital.
According to the Statesman, Lyft drivers were notified via text on Thursday morning that the service would be starting up in Austin on Monday, while Uber confirmed that they, too, would be rolling back into town on Memorial Day.
The re-launch is the result of a bill passed earlier this month by the Texas Senate that would allow rideshare companies to be monitored by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation rather than Austin-specific ordinances. Governor Greg Abbott will be signing the bill on Monday.
Lyft, which has an office in East Austin, is already recruiting drivers. “Every day this week has been exciting," says Aaron Fox, general manager for Lyft Austin. "We’re hearing from people who haven’t driven for Lyft before and from people who have driven for us in the past, which has been really affirming.”
The return of Uber and Lyft is producing some pretty polarizing results among Austin residents, but whether you like these rideshare companies or not, there's no doubt that it's going to change the landscape of Austin's current ride-hailing landscape. As of right now, it looks like Uber and Lyft are finally here to stay.
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