Lyft is a driving service that allows users to receive a ride in a matter of minutes through their app.

Anyone will be able to request a ride with the push of a button.

Meredith King / Arts and Entertainment Editor

This service will soon be hitting the streets of Keene.

According to Lyft’s website, it is also more affordable than a taxi.

Rates will depend on local demand and the amount of drivers hired.

Rides have a base charge of $1.00 and typically charge around $1.50 per mile, although this can change city to city, according to Ridester.

Taxi companies tend to charge a flat rate, rather than by the mile or minute.

So what does this mean for the community’s local taxi companies?

Tony Signore, the owner of Tony’s Taxi in Keene, said, “I really don’t think it will affect my business at all….We have real loyal clientele, they would never call an Uber.”

An unnamed driver for Sunshine Taxi in Keene has a similar opinion of Lyft.

“I’m not worried about Lyft affecting our business,” said the employee.

“We charge fairly and run a good business here. People respect and recognize that.”

Although there has been talk of it in the past, Lyft, Uber or any other car service has never been available in Keene until now.

Having Lyft in the area will be a luxury that residents and students have not been able to experience as of yet, and will make transportation simpler and faster.

“I’m so excited for this to come to Keene,” said KSC sophomore Genie Schowetsky.

“There’s been so many times where something like Lyft would have come in handy, but we haven’t had it around here.”

According to Business Insider, 30 percent of all Americans use ride-hailing apps like Lyft; and that statistic is steadily increasing over time.

Having the ability to request a ride somewhere through an app is simpler and faster than hailing or calling a taxi.

“My friends at different schools use apps like that all the time. Like if it’s the weekend and they’re going out somewhere, but no one wants to be the designated driver, it’s a good thing to have or it would be convenient to have here just for getting Starbucks or something,” said Schowetsky.

Lyft’s website also states that there is a 24/7 Trust and Safety Team.

Lyft’s critical response line is always open in the case of an incident.

Department of Motor Vehicle background checks on all the drivers and a minimum age requirement for cars driven are also done.

The two-way rating system also allows the rider to rate and comment on the quality of your ride and driver, so both parties can be aware of what they are walking into.

There is no exact date for when Lyft is coming to Keene yet, but people can expect to start seeing Lyft stickers on cars in the area fairly soon.

Rachel Vitello can be contacted at rvitello@kscequinox.com