Governor Edwards is set to sign legislation that will start the process of OKing rideshare services like Uber and Lyft statewide.
Uber spokesperson Evangeline George says authorizing Ubers across the state will expand tourism access for visitors who are interested in seeing more than just the big city sights.
“We’ve seen in Louisiana so far that people from more than 70 countries have already taken an Uber trip in Louisiana.”
Previously Uber only operated in the state’s major cities and was not present in many rural and suburban communities, or Alexandria. George says they’ve had success expanding into those rural communities once similar legislation passed in other states.
“Alabama passed a statewide rideshare framework last year, and now we operate across the state, and have seen many people in rural communities getting rides at the tap of a button.”
But the service will not be immediately ready in communities that were not already receiving the service. George says there’s a few steps left to be completed.
“The law goes into effect on July 1st, and there will be a permitting process with the Department of Transportation, who is the regulator under the law.”
