As dissatisfied Uber drivers threaten to protest the Super Bowl this weekend, a new ride app has stepped in to offer fans an alternative means of transportation.
San Francisco-based iCars debuts in the city this week, promising to shuttle passengers to and from Super Bowl festivities with no surge pricing. Instead the on-demand car service, which caters to business travelers, is offering special flat rates this week as part of a Super Bowl promotion. iCars, which provides luxury cars and professional chauffeurs, is offering rides anywhere within San Francisco for $50, according to a news release. Outside the city, trips of less than 60 miles will be $188. iCars also will shuttle fans between San Francisco International Airport and hotels in downtown San Francisco for $94. Rides from Oakland International Airport to San Francisco are $124, and rides to Mineta San José International Airport are $164.
On Sunday, iCars will offer rides between San Francisco and Levi s Stadium in Santa Clara for a flat rate of $248, for up to four passengers. The price increases to $298 for six passengers, and to $348 for eight passengers.
The app is available for download on iPhones.
While the prices aren t exactly cheap, they may be an attractive alternative for fans worried about Uber and Lyft s sometimes unpredictable surge pricing. Uber and Lyft rates are known to jump up during big events, and the Super Bowl is sure to be no exception.
Bay Area residents and visitors need reliable transportation during the upcoming Super Bowl festivities, and iCARS will be the safest, most dependable and stress-free way to travel to and from all the gridiron-related action, Gary Bauer, CEO of iCARS, wrote in a news release.
But iCARS can t pick up or drop off passengers directly in front of Levi s Stadium, thanks to an exclusive deal Uber signed that makes it the official transportation partner for Super Bowl 50, Business Insider reports.
Bauer is the owner of transportation company Bauer s Intelligent Transportation, a San Francisco company that offers luxury sedans, limousines and shuttle buses. He founded iCars as a way for the limousine industry to compete head-on with Uber and Lyft, according to the news release. He plans to roll out the service in other major U.S. cities this year.
Photo credit: Rafiq Maqbool, AP
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