Los Angeles International Airport plans to ban Uber, Lyft and taxis from picking up passengers outside its terminals, airport officials announced Thursday.
Instead, starting at the end of October, passengers will be bused to a centralized lot where they can meet their rides. Taxi and ride-share drivers will still be able to drop passengers off at the airport.
Airport officials have dubbed the new arrangement, “LAX-it” and bill it as a “new, convenient way to catch a taxi, Lyft, Opoli or Uber ride from the airport.” (Opoli is another California-based ride-share company)
At the end of this month, ride app and taxi pickups will move to a central lot next to Terminal 1 called #LAXit. This will remove traffic from the terminal area and improve the pickup experience. No changes to drop off, with fast shuttle service to the lot for quick pickups! pic.twitter.com/XuYqfzH67j
— LAX Airport (@flyLAXairport) October 4, 2019The goal is to ease congestion at an airport where traffic jams are the norm no matter the time of day. The shift comes as the airport is undergoing a massive multibillion-dollar rebuilding project, which has exacerbated traffic problems.
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Travelers were not pleased.
The LAX ban on Uber and Lyft is ridiculous. Take a hotel shuttle or have a taxi drive me half a mile to get in range. Not helping anyone.
— Ian Gerstel (@igerstel) September 12, 2015Others thought it was a smart move:
In a statement, Uber said it was aware of the coming change.
“While we have concerns with aspects of LAX’s plan to move all ride-share pickups to a staging lot, we have shared those concerns directly with [Los Angeles World Airports] and will continue operating at the airport. In the meantime, we hope LAX will listen to and incorporate our input so that so that LAX passengers can continue to access ride-share service in a seamless way.”
Officials at Lyft did not respond to requests for comment.
Ride-share companies have quickly become part of the airport ecosystem, but have sometimes posed traffic and logistical challenges for airport officials. Many airports have had to create special areas where drivers can wait before they are summoned. Some airports, including Washington’s Reagan National Airport, also have begun charging ride-share companies pickup and drop-off fees, like they do taxi services.
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