ALBANY — The Capital District Transportation Authority is launching a flexible transit option with a pilot program covering an area that includes the Capital Region's major shopping malls, the Albany International Airport, Wolf Road, and Corporate Woods.

Flex On Demand Transit will use two passenger vans operated by CDTA employees. Rides, which are free during the introductory period, can be requested using the TransLoc® app, which can be downloaded on your smartphone.

The service, which begins Friday, will be available from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.

The new service is part of an effort to provide a range of options for customers, said CDTA spokeswoman Jaime Watson. In the warmer months, CDTA offers a bike-sharing service. And it comes at a time when such ride-hailing options as Lyft and Uber are making inroads into traditional bus and taxi services.

Last week, Troy's Black & White Taxi shut down after 70 years in operation, blaming Uber, Lyft, and competing medical transportation companies for what it called a "precipitous drop" in revenues. Last June, Capitaland Taxi stopped serving Albany International Airport, blaming competition from Uber and Lyft.

Capitaland also closed most of its local offices, including ones in Troy, Schenectady and Saratoga.

Meanwhile, Uber in November reported revenues were up, but so were losses, posting a loss of $1.1 billion in its most recent quarter.

CDTA is touting the Flex "curb-to-curb" service as providing greater convenience than a traditional scheduled bus route might offer, while also offering an alternative to ride-hailing services. CDTA said it seeks to provide a ride within 20 minutes of a customer's request, although response times might be slower during peak demand periods. More details: cdta.org/flex