Ride-sharing service Sidecar is now allowed to give rides to travelers at San Francisco International Airport.
The company gained permission to offer rides at the airport by securing a permit, which is needed for transportation companies looking to provide their services at SFO, according to PC Magazine. The goal for Sidecar is to begin working at SFO in the next 30 days.
Competitors Uber and Lyft have yet to secure permits, which is keeping them from operating at the airport. The SFO said it is still having discussions with these two companies, as well as other ride-sharing services, about permits.
"We commend SFO for their forward thinking, and for developing a framework that will allow Sidecar to provide safe and affordable transportation to people who live in and visit our city," Sidecar said. "SFO is one of our most in-demand places for ride requests, so we're excited and proud to work with them to offer riders safe and affordable travel to and from the airport."
Rules implemented by the California Public Utilities Commission currently keep ride-sharing companies from offering rides at SFO, Engadget reported.
The airport is giving Sidecar permission to work there as part of a pilot program for studying traffic congestion, so it has yet to be revealed exactly how long the permit will last.
Sidecar's good fortune comes at a time when ride-sharing services and apps face extreme opposition across the globe, according to PC Magazine. Uber was banned in Berlin in August over concerns with passengers who weren't insured, and a $33,000 fine would be given to Uber drivers who were caught driving. However, this ban would be lifted later on. Cab and limo drivers in London, Paris, Madrid and other European cities have held protests against Uber in August, and South Korea submitted a bill on Wednesday to legally ban Uber due to problems with insurance.
However, ride-sharing services are seeing progress in the U.S., with Nashville Airport allowing drivers from Uber and Lyft to pick up passengers last month. The airport became the first in the U.S. to give these two companies such permission.
