Lyft Coming to Canada, Australia, New Zealand

I can’t speak for the rest of the country, but people oftentimes complain about the transportation situation here in Vancouver. They say the trains don’t run late enough and it can be difficult to get a cab out of downtown after clubbing all night. Soon, we may have an alternative solution in the form of Lyft.

There had previously been some talk about getting Uber in Vancouver. Some people love the idea but hate the company, so Lyft could represent a golden ticket until the taxi companies jump all over this possibility too. In any case, the rumors rumbling on the Internet indicate that Lyft is prepping to expand into international markets. That’s a big bold step.

Ever since the company started five years ago, they’ve stuck to the United States. As of this writing, you’ll find Lyft in about 300 cities across the United States, including New York City, Los Angeles and Detroit. For the most part, you could say that Lyft has been playing second fiddle to Uber, but its reputation is generally more positive, particularly when it comes to supporting drivers and ensuring passenger safety.

The expansion into Canada could be happening sooner than you think, as the launch could hit our streets before the end of the year. The report also indicated that Lyft may expand into Australia and New Zealand as well, but that might not be until later on. This information comes by way of three people “who have been involved with or briefed about the discussions at the company.”

Vancouver already has an abundance of car sharing programs, like Car2go and Modo, so adding Lyft to the mix would certainly be welcomed by many residents.