LYFT MAKES PICKUP DEAL WITH LOGAN
Ride-for-hire app service Lyft will begin picking up passengers at Logan International Airport next month, and a deal with Uber is close, the companies and Massport said.
“We are pleased to have signed an agreement with Lyft to provide our customers with as many transportation options as possible, while maintaining the highest levels of security and reliability,” said Massport CEO Thomas P. Glynn. “This is something our customers requested and we’re glad to provide it as we ensure appropriate checks are in place.”
Massport will charge $3.25 for each ride — the same it charges livery vehicles. Lyft drivers have their own waiting area next to the livery lot. Massport has also put up signs directing passengers to a dedicated spot for Lyft pickups.
“We applaud Massport’s decision today to give the green light for Lyft to operate at Logan,” said Lyft spokesman Adrian Durbin. “Starting on Feb. 1, travelers will be able to access safe, affordable Lyft rides directly from the airport.”
An Uber spokeswoman said the company expects to reach a deal with Massport before Feb. 1.
Massport and the companies have been negotiating for months on agreements that would bring app-based ride-hailing services to the airport.
Ride-hailing companies have not been completely banned at Logan — anyone can drop off passengers — but ride services picking up passengers must have livery license plates and Massport licenses, or Boston taxi medallions.
The airport is one the last oases for Boston cabs. Even as pickups and revenue have dropped citywide, pickups at Logan have increased thanks to a growing number of air passengers.
“It’s the only place that saw an increase,” said Steve Goldberg, a Boston medallion owner.
Also yesterday, lawyers for the state, Massport and the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center faced off against the Boston Taxi Owners Association and Goldberg, a plaintiff in the case seeking to maintain exclusive rights and protections for cabbies. The BTOA asked Judge Nathaniel Gorton to block Massport from allowing ride-for-hire apps at Logan, require that companies be subject to the same rules as taxis statewide and bar the state from enforcing a clause that prohibits cities and towns from regulating the services. “Whether we press a button or raise our hand, it’s the same thing, it’s on-demand transportation,” said Jenifer Pinkham, a lawyer for the BTOA. “They are doing the exact same service, which is picking up people on demand, transporting them from place to place for a fare.”
Attorneys for the defendants were asking Gorton to throw out the suit.
“The Legislature made the decision to foster the availability of different modes of transportation,” said Julie Green, a lawyer representing Gov. Charlie Baker, the Department of Public Utilities and other state defendants. “If we were to require all modes of transportation to adhere to taxi rules, we wouldn’t have (ride-hailing companies).”
Gorton took the motions under advisement.