The Metro Council is expected to vote this evening on whether the Baton Rouge Metro Airport will be able to charge rideshare firm Lyft $3 per passenger pick-up in order to help offset revenue lost from the declining rental car business.
The airport has been negotiating with Lyft to execute a five-year license agreement that would allow the ride-sharing company to pick up passengers at the airport in return for a fee. But the Metro Council needs to approve the deal.
Ridesharing services pick up more than 800 passengers per month at the airport, eating into the business previously done by rental car companies, which pay a fee to operate at the airport. There is currently no fee in place for ridesharing companies.
As part of the proposed agreement, there will be a dedicated curbside lane for rideshare drivers to pick up passengers at the terminal and a cell phone parking lot, where drivers and others picking up from the airport can wait for passengers to arrive before driving up to the curbside, says Aviation Director Mike Edwards.
The potential agreement is similar to those adopted by other airports across the country. The airport is looking to make a comparable agreement with Uber, Edwards says.
