Lyft has picked a great day to launch in Toronto. The ride-hailing company's first day of service coincides with an expensive bill and a customer apology from rival Uber.
Toronto is the first market outside of the US for ride-hailing company Lyft. But the company is planning to expand to more Canadian cities if the launch is successful. Rival Uber launched in the city in 2014.
Uber has been seen as a bully, fighting the taxi drivers that fear competition that follows different rules and governments that want to regulate it. But Lyft has an image of being more inclusive and less confrontational. Although most drivers who work for one work for the other, in an effort to make the most of their workday.
Lyft is launching in Toronto with a fundraiser for the city's SickKids children's hospital. The service lets riders round their fare up to the next dollar, and those funds will be donated.
Meanwhile, rival Uber has had a shocked customer and an apology to make after a big bill for a short ride. A customer posted a picture of their bill to Twitter, which showed the total for the six kilometer, 20-minute long drive as a whopping $18,518.50. Ouch.
While Uber initially stated that the charge was correct, they later issued an apology. And a refund.
