Limo e-hailing app Ride Genie gets Nevada OK

The Nevada Transportation Authority has given the green light to an e-hailing app that enables customers to summon a limousine with a smartphone.

The three-member board that regulates buses and limousines statewide unanimously approved Integrity Vehicle Solutions’ Ride Genie app on Friday.

The technology is similar to apps provided by ride-sharing companies such as Uber and Lyft in that it enables customers to digitally hail a ride, track the vehicle that has been selected to provide the service and pay for the ride electronically through a preregistered credit card.

The service won’t be available to the public until limousine companies submit tariff requests that first must be approved by the Transportation Authority. At least five limousine companies have expressed interest in using Ride Genie and three have already submitted tariff requests that are expected to be heard by the authority board next month.

Friday’s hourlong hearing was a formality since most of the details of the operation were debated in a public hearing earlier this month.

“Every day, more and more services are going digital,” said board Chairman Andrew MacKay. “So it’s not just the 40 million tourists who visit Las Vegas that will use this. Everybody stands to benefit as a result of this technology.”

Commissioner Keith Sakelhide, who conducted the Ride Genie hearing earlier this month, said he expects local residents to embrace the service if they want to attend a special event with friends and not have to worry about driving, parking or driving after consuming too much alcohol.

“I’m glad to see we’re getting ahead of the curve on this,” added Commissioner George Assad.

The Ride Genie app has been in development for more than a year, but pressure has been mounting on local companies recently with companies such as Uber and Lyft expressing interest in entering the market. Ride-sharing has a slightly different business model because drivers use their personal vehicles to provide rides and not a company vehicle.

Under the plan approved by the board, the authority staff has been directed to process tariff requests from licensed companies as they’re submitted.

Integrity plans to roll out a marketing campaign for the app once companies have their tariffs approved.

The authority has been told that Las Vegas Limousine, Presidential Limousine and Bell Transportation already have submitted tariff requests and On Demand Sedan and the Alan Waxler Group have plans to enter the e-hailing market as well.

Under authority regulations, limousine service providers must submit requested tariffs for approval by the board. Unlike the taxicab industry, companies aren’t required to provide service at a rate that is the same as their competitors.

In a separate action, the board also approved a temporary deviation from current regulations that enables Integrity to pass along a maximum fee of $5 per ride to customers to access the e-hailing system.

MacKay said the board wants price transparency on the e-hailing app and the temporary deviation enables the company to operate while the board develops new regulations listing how prices will be disclosed to customers.

Neal Tomlinson, a lawyer representing Integrity, said customers will be alerted to all fees when they sign up for the app and price estimates would be provided before a ride. The fare estimate would include the terms of the ride, the customer app access fee and any fuel surcharge or airport security fee that may be in effect on the ride. The final bill also would include a 20 percent gratuity to the driver that can be adjusted by the customer.

Contact reporter Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow him on Twitter @RickVelotta.