Jason Williams

jwilliams@enquirer.com

Uber and Lyft have never been allowed to pick-up customers at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport – and now signs have been posted around the terminal informing fliers about the rule.

CVG officials released a statement Tuesday about the ban on the popular ride-sharing companies, just hours after someone posted a photo of a sign on the social media site Reddit.com.

"In the interest of customer safety and security, the airport has a permitting process in place to ensure commercial vehicles are insured and drivers are properly licensed," the airport statement said. "Ground transportation providers that comply with these requirements are permitted to conduct business at CVG, including rideshare operators that have complied with our permitting process."

There are no regulations keeping ride-sharing companies from dropping off passengers at the airport. Also, individual Uber and Lyft drivers can pick up customers at the airport if the individual has obtained an airport-mandated permit. CVG officials said some individual drivers for Uber's limousine-like service – known as UberBlack – have obtained permits.

Some cab companies have established deals to provide ground transportation for CVG. Airport officials said they've had ongoing discussions with Uber and Lyft about the companies officially becoming part of the ground transportation network.

Lyft spokeswoman Katie Dally said talks with CVG have been "productive and collaborative." Uber officials did not return a message seeking comment.

Local ride-sharing customers expressed their frustration with CVG's policy on Tuesday. Over-the-Rhine resident Julie Niesen Gosdin often travels out-of-town for work and prefers to use ridesharing to and from CVG.

"Currently, the taxi service at CVG is subpar," she said. "Taxis are dirty, traffic laws are ignored and sketchy practices, such as a refusal to take credit card and a last-minute, undisclosed surcharge to get to Over-the-Rhine of $10. In other major airports, there are taxi lines and taxis are generally cleaner and the rules are clearer to those coming from out of town."

Niesen Gosdin added: "Other airports ban Uber and Lyft, but have more than adequate taxi service. CVG does not. Revamp taxis with consumers – not taxi companies – in mind, and this wouldn't be nearly as big a deal."

Uber and Lyft have been rapidly growing across the U.S. this year. The San Francisco-based startups rely on part-time, non-professional drivers who use their own vehicles to provide taxi-like service. Customers can summon and pay for rides with the tap of a smartphone app. No cash changes hands; tips are not required.

Uber and Lyft arrived in Cincinnati last spring, and by most accounts the companies have been popular among Downtown, Over-the-Rhine, Mount Adams and other urban-core residents.

Uber and Lyft also have been under fire in Cincinnati and several other cities – mainly for questionable insurance policies and not following traditional taxicab laws and regulations. Last month, Cincinnati City Council passed new rules requiring ride-sharing companies to follow many of the same regulations required of traditional taxicabs.

Commercial airports have faced many of the same challenges as cities with ride-sharing companies. Airports operate in similar ways to cities by setting up their own taxicab regulations. In addition to permitted taxi companies and drivers, TANK buses also are allowed to pickup customers at the airport. Northern Kentucky's transit system offers express routes between CVG and Downtown for $2 one-way.

Uber and Lyft are banned at several other airports, including in Los Angeles, Chicago and Memphis. But some airports have recently reached agreements for ride-sharing companies to start picking-up passengers, including the main commercial airports in San Francisco and Nashville. •