Uber and Lyft Plan to Leave Minneapolis, Here’s Who May Fill the Massive Need

There are some big changes that may be coming to Minneapolis, Minnesota. The two biggest ride-share apps, Uber and Lyft, are planning to leave Minneapolis by May 1st. If you're not up to speed, we'll talk about why they're planning to leave. We'll also talk about which apps will possibly come in to replace them in a world that heavily relies on these ride-share apps.

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Why Uber and Lyft are Planning to Leave Minneapolis

On May 1st we may not be able to get a ride via Uber or Lyft in Minneapolis because of a new ordinance that is supposed to take effect. Yes, this includes MSP.

The reason is that the city of Minneapolis found out that drivers for Uber and Lyft weren't getting paid Minneapolis' minimum wage of $15.57. This new ordinance would require the ride-share companies to pay their drivers at least that much. To which the companies retaliated and are saying they'll pull operations from Minneapolis on May 1st if something doesn't change.

Not only will this affect Minneapolis, but Uber also says that they'll pull their services out of the entire Twin Cities metro area, according to FOX 9.

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This would cause major issues because of how reliant we've become on these two ride-share apps. This is also a big issue for those who rely on ride-share driving as their main source of income.

There are lots of conversations still happening around this topic so a lot could, and likely will, change between now and May 1st. But if Uber and Lyft do end up leaving Minneapolis (and the metro area in Uber's case) that will cause a big problem for visitors who need rides places, for people who are out partying and need a sober ride home, and for drivers who will then be out of a job.

However, there are some ride-share apps who are talking about swooping into Minneapolis and St. Paul to save the day.

Ride-Share Apps that May Replace Uber and Lyft in Minneapolis

One of the apps, according to FOX 9, is called Wridz (which is pronounced 'rides'). They're based out of Texas and already serve 18 metro areas around the country.

Another ride-share company interested in coming to the Twin Cities is Joiryde, based out of North Carolina. This company only offers rides with Teslas, though.

Three other apps are all start-ups. Those are called HICH Minnesota, MOOV, and MyWeels.

And finally, Ride Co-op is a coalition that is talking about forming and taking over the ride-share need around Minneapolis and St. Paul. It would be made up of Twin Cities ride-share drivers who want to continue driving even if Uber and Lyft leave them high and dry. So they would come together and create their own app service.

We won't know until a later date what exactly is going to happen come May 1st but it's bound to be interesting.