The ride-sharing company Lyft is getting off the ground in Paducah.
A team of eight drivers is expected to grow to 20 by this weekend. That’s according to Paducah’s first Lyft driver Amanda Hill, addressing the Paducah City Commission Tuesday. She said Lyft initially told her that Paducah would be too small to support the program, but has since given her permission to start driving. She said most of their business revolves around downtown.
“We take a lot to dinner downtown, pick them back up...we have a lot to the airport as well. Starting today we’ve received a lot of hotel calls...I’m guessing the quilters are in,” Hill said.
Hill said Lyft drivers are looking to extend services with local hospital partnerships. She said Paducah drivers can take someone as far as Bowling Green, but restrictions prevent them from going across the river to Metropolis.
City commissioners amended a taxicab ordinance earlier this year clarifying that ride-sharing companies like Lyft and Uber are not regulated by the City of Paducah and thus not prevented from operating in the city. State regulations allow ride-sharing companies to operate in Kentucky.
