New driving service starts giving rides in Colorado Springs

A ride sharing program that has already had huge success in Denver is rolling out in Colorado Springs.

The inaugural Uber-X ride in the Pikes Peak Region took off Friday (5/2/14).
The company uses a smartphone application to connect drivers to people who need a ride.

Uber-X kicked-off its driving services by picking up Colorado Springs Councilwoman Jan Martin.

A ride from Uber-X cost $2.14 per ride, $1.57 a mile, with a minimum far of $5.70.

In order to be a driver, the company requires that they have a valid Colorado driver’s license, insurance, go through a seven year background check, and have a vehicle that is 2005 or newer with four doors and in good condition.

Drivers get to keep 80 percent of what they make. The other 20 percent goes to the company.

Other transportation services, such as Lyft, have been operating in Colorado Springs for awhile, but Uber-X Driver Operations Manager Joe Sanfilippo said he’s not worried.

“The difference between Uber-X and Lyft is Lyft is more focused on the community where you can go in the front seat and fist pump, Uber-X we want to be the most reliable service no matter where you are we want to have a driver five minutes from you,” he said.

The company is offering five free rides if you download the application until May 16.