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On heels of Uber, Lyft ridesharing service launches at Tahoe-Truckee

Kaleb M. Roedel
kroedel@sierrasun.com
The ridesharing company Lyft announced last week that its service is now available at Lake Tahoe.
Courtesy Lyft |

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To celebrate its arrival to Tahoe, Lyft is giving Tahoe passengers $10 off their first Lyft ride when they use the code “LETITSNOW.” Visit lyft.com/cities/lake-tahoe for more information about using Lyft at Lake Tahoe and Truckee

TAHOE-TRUCKEE, Calif. — No, you’re not seeing things — that was a glowing pink mustache you saw on the dashboard of a car passing by.

And yes, there is a reason for it.

The ridesharing company Lyft — whose drivers are identified by a 5-inch-long pink “glowstache” adorning the grill of their vehicles — announced last week its service is now available throughout Lake Tahoe and Truckee.



“We’ve had our eye on Tahoe for some time, and are thrilled to officially launch there,” said Mary Caroline Pruitt, a Lyft spokeswoman. “Tahoe is a great city for Lyft, and we’re excited that people in Tahoe can now rely on Lyft for a safe, affordable ride — whether they’re heading home after a day on the slopes or going out for a night with friends.”

Pruitt said Lyft’s vision is to “reconnect people and communities through better transportation,” adding that drivers for the company range from students to ski-school teachers to stay-at-home moms.



One such driver is Monika Taboada, a self-employed mother of two from South Lake Tahoe.

“I’m married with a 2-year-old and a 14-year-old daughter, and it’s just so convenient for me,” Taboada said of being a Lyft driver. “How many jobs can you say, ‘I’ll let you know when I’ll be there, I’ll call you when I’m coming in?’

“There are a lot of people doing this full-time and it’s great. We’re so happy Lyft is here. They’re such a great company, they are so driver-orientated and they are —like they say — real people driving real people.”

Lyft’s launch at Tahoe comes less than two months after ridesharing competitor Uber revved up its services in the region.

In December, Uber was able to offer services on both the north and south shores after getting the green light to operate in Nevada as a Transportation Network Company (TNC).

There is a wrinkle, however, that Lyft drivers must keep in mind. Though drivers can drop off passengers in both Nevada and California, they can only do pickups in the state that their driver’s license is from.

For example, a driver in Truckee can’t pick up someone from Incline Village, and vice-versa.

Notably, Lyft’s move into Tahoe coincides with its deal with the Reno-Tahoe International Airport that allows Lyft drivers to drop off and pick up passengers at the airport.


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