[ibimage==37818==Original==none==self==ibimage_align-center]
Just when you thought it was over, the on-demand ride market expands once again.
asterRide launched in Los Angeles this morning with ambitions to take on Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar. The car service will provide users licensed taxi, limo, and black car drivers with the tap of an app.
The company boasts a no surcharges guarantee as well as a safer ride experience than its ride-sharing competitors thanks in part to its newly unveiled instaAlert feature. The safety measure sends updates to family or friends if the passenger's trip goes awry.
"Passenger safety has become a controversial topic for ride-sharing companies throughout the world and in the Los Angeles area," CEO Seth Rudin said in a statement. "It's important that we instill confidence in our service and a peace of mind to our customers."
While many of their competitors fight for the lowest price, asterRide uses standard meter rates, making them an appealing option for local taxi companies.
In Los Angeles, asterRide has partnered with multiple limo and taxi companies including LA Checker Cab and LA Independent Cab Co. all of whom believe the app's safety features will reinvigorate a rapidly declining cab industry.
"It's refreshing to see a ride service company so concerned with passenger safety," Leon Satanovsky, Vice President of Independent Cab Company of Los Angeles said in a statement. "I'm quite certain that asterRIDE's safety feature will be a big hit in Los Angeles, especially with women."
Despite steep competition, asterRide also launched in Chicago, Orlando, Seattle, and Phoenix with plans of adding seven more US cities in the near future.
Industry giant Uber does not feature a licensed taxi service in LA, which allows some breathing room for competitors. Currently, Flywheel and Curb dominate the on-demand taxi market in Los Angeles.
"We don't need to take out our competitors," Rudin said. "We're just looking to fill a niche that they don't offer."
Coincidentally, the announcement came exactly five years to the day since Uber first entered the market, igniting the billion dollar industry.
Have a tip for us or know of a company that deserves coverage? Email us via [email protected]
