Sidecar, the San Francisco-based on-demand transportation startup, will begin charging riders a $1 “RideSafe” fee starting on Thursday to cover costs associated to driver insurance, background checks, and vehicle inspections. Uber also charges $1 for a similar fee, while Lyft’s “Trust & Safety Fee” ranges from $1.50 to $1.95.
“As we’ve grown and expanded in new cities, with new technology and under new regulations, the cost of providing you with the safest, smoothest ride experience possible has increased,” Sidecar wrote in an email to customers.
Sidecar is not as popular as Uber or Lyft, nor is it operating in as many cities. But the company, which lets drivers set their own rates, did raise $15 million in September and is quickly expanding its “Shared Rides” carpooling service.
