Ride-Sharing Officially Enters Longview Market

LONGVIEW — The first ride-sharing service in Longview has launched — technically. Lyft received a permit from the city recently to operate in Longview, city spokesman Shawn Hara said Friday, but so far, the company has no vehicles registered in the city. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, it’s the first ride-sharing service company to ask for and receive a city permit. Lyft opened its service Thursday to several Texas cities, including Longview and Tyler. The San Francisco-based company doesn’t list Longview among the cities it serves, but it includes Longview and all of Gregg County in its Tyler service area, according to lyft.com.

The city is asking Lyft to identify Longview as its own distinct service area, Hara said. As it stands, Lyft drivers can transport people from other cities into Longview, but any ride-sharing trips that originate inside Longview city limits are prohibited, he said. The Longview City Council approved an ordinance in December allowing ride-sharing services to operate inside the city. “(Lyft has) submitted a permit to operate, but they haven’t submitted any information on drivers,” Hara said. Uber operates in Tyler, and until now, it has been the only known ride-sharing operation in Northeast Texas.