Prolonged waits for rides elevate tourism considerations in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS (AP) – When Delane and Greg Boog visited Las Vegas last month, they had to wait almost an hour at McCarran International Airport for a lift to the resort corridor.

Last week, the Michigan couple approached the line again, preparing for yet another lengthy delay that began their stint at Park MGM on the Strip. Several dozen people were already standing in line in the ride-on area of ​​Terminal 1.

“They say there’s about a 20 minute wait, which doesn’t seem too bad,” Delane Boog told the Las Vegas Sun.

Depending on the day, time and location, longer waits for Uber, Lyft and taxi rides in Las Vegas have become common as visitor numbers increased this spring following business closings and capacity restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic.

For Las Vegas, which prides itself on service and a positive visitor experience, it’s a phenomenon that, according to Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom, could last through the summer and negatively impact visitor reactions to their stay. The Commission is the governing body of the Strip.

“I’ve seen a lot of complaints lately,” Segerblom said. “I know that sometimes people have to get an upscale Uber or Lyft to get a vehicle too. We need more drivers and it may take a few months to catch up with us. “

“Part of what makes Las Vegas great is that it’s so easy,” added Segerblom. “The airport is close to everything and we had a great transportation system. If we lost that permanently, it would be a disaster.”

Las Vegas could be a popular travel destination this summer as COVID-19 restrictions continue to mount across the country. Domestic travelers can travel here as international travel is still largely dormant.

The Strip is back to pre-pandemic times with overcrowded restaurants, throngs of pedestrians along Las Vegas Boulevard, and hotel occupancies rising like summer desert temperatures. The capacity limits at venues and the mask requirements for vaccinated people have been lifted.

Carpooling seems to be on their heels.

“Demand has returned faster than drivers getting back on the road, which has led to some of the problems we’ve seen,” said Javi Correoso, an Uber spokesman. “As people continue to be vaccinated, we believe the trend will continue for a city that draws a lot of visitors outside of the city.”

The problem is supply and demand: if visitors don’t go out during the pandemic, most drivers won’t work. Now people are going out again and not enough drivers have returned to the streets.

Industry officials attribute the shortage to several factors, including some drivers still receiving unemployment benefits and others unwilling to share a car with strangers during a public health crisis.

Representatives from Uber and Lyft pointed to a pandemic exemption rule put in place by Nevada’s Governor Steve Sisolak as the main culprit.

Until Nevada lifted a ban on Friday, the state’s “transportation network companies” were unable to charge tariffs that were “above the base rate at the time of the emergency.” The prohibition on price hikes was put in place to provide predictable costs to people who needed trips. However, by repealing, the governor said he hoped to reduce waiting times.

Ride-share companies had campaigned for the ban to be lifted for months. In a letter to the agency on May 10, Elizabeth Gallagher, Lyft’s compliance manager, said: “Fares above the base rate by (carrier) can be distributed to drivers across the region in the form of driver awards and incentives Getting drivers on the road in times of high demand. “

Segerblom and others had wondered if companies should just offer drivers more base salaries to attract more workers, but Correoso said it wasn’t that easy.

He said many drivers returned to the workforce simply because they were concerned about getting COVID-19, even though Uber drivers and drivers still have to wear masks.

“A lot of drivers have not returned because they are uncomfortable with someone sitting in the car,” he said. “If more people get vaccinated, drivers will come back, but we’re not where we were before the pandemic.” . ”

Correoso added that Uber was giving drivers cash rewards for returning. A driver in Las Vegas who drove an average of 20 hours a week took home just under $ 30 an hour, he said.

As the number of visitors increases from month to month, the driver staff simply cannot keep up.

According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, more than 2.2 million people visited the city in March, up 45% from February. The total number of visits in April was expected to dwarf the total number in March.

In addition to car ridesharing, Las Vegas taxi companies have a hard time getting drivers onto the road.

JD Decker, interim director of the Nevada Taxi Authority, said it would take time to get the industry going after it was basically dormant for months.

“We’re seeing problems getting drivers into cars, but companies are trying to hire them,” Decker said. “I think we are probably suffering the worst right now. After being in isolation for so long, people are returning to Las Vegas, but the taxi companies haven’t caught up yet. “

How long the waiting times will be is unclear.

Decker said complaints about waiting times had been received by the regulator. He’s also heard from Las Vegas casino officials inquiring about what could possibly be done to improve the situation.

“It takes longer to get rides, but visitors to Las Vegas tend to find their way,” Decker said. “Drivers bringing drivers to and from McCarran get extra money, and some companies pay part of the car approval fees. Companies know there is a problem and they are trying to figure out how to fix it. “

Memorial Day weekend was set to usher in a busy summer for leisure travelers, and it seemed possible the driver shortage could worsen.

According to the authority, just under 897,000 taxi rides were registered in April.

That was far more than the 12,200 journeys recorded in April 2020 during the pandemic shutdown, but well below the 1.27 million journeys recorded by the 16 regulated taxi companies in April 2019.

In addition to taxi companies and ridesharing, Las Vegas also offers public transportation.

Southern Nevada’s Regional Transportation Commission offers an airport bus service that can connect passengers from a terminal near the McCarran Rent-A-Car Center to the RTC “Deuce on the Strip” line on Las Vegas Boulevard.

Francis Julien, vice chairman of the commission, said the problems with ridesharing and taxi drivers underscore the importance of public transportation in Las Vegas.

He said cameras at bus stops monitor the crowd. If too many drivers are waiting, the RTC will add vehicles, Julien said.

For the past few Fridays and Saturdays, the double-decker buses ran along the strip every eight minutes, Julien said.

“People don’t have to wait 30 minutes,” he said. “The gains (in drivers) we’ve seen over the past four or five months are basically due to tourists.”

Julien said cell phone riders can purchase an RTC bus ticket without leaving the Uber or Lyft app they use.

Even so, not everyone has the desire to drive a city bus, even a cool looking double decker with scenic views.

Many drivers have got used to the convenience of carpooling in recent years. And greeting an Uber or Lyft isn’t always difficult. Much depends on time and place.

At the airport, a few steps from the Boogs, Timothy Esposito and Kaylenne McClure, both from Los Angeles, were waiting for a Lyft ride that McClure’s phone said would arrive in a few minutes.

“We know things are opening now, so we knew we might have to wait longer,” said McClure. “But that’s not bad at all.”

Segerblom said longer waiting times are a free market problem that likely needs a free market solution.

“Before Uber and Lyft, we had a great taxi system for the Strip, although it wasn’t great when you weren’t on the Strip,” Segerblom said.

“When Uber and Lyft came in they basically decimated the taxi industry … and now we’re paying for it,” he said. “My thought is that we might have to try to restrict Uber and Lyft so we can keep ours.” Taxi and bus system working just in case something happens. “