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"UPDATE: Lyft has been declared &amp;quot;unauthorized&amp;quot; by New York's Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC). In a statement, the commission said: &amp;quot;Lyft has not complied with TLC's safety requirements and other licensing criteria to verify the integrity and qualifications of the drivers or vehicles used in their service, and Lyft does not hold a license to dispatch cars to pick up passengers.&amp;quot;\r\nIt says that TLC-licensed drivers who accept assignments from Lyft will be at risk of losing their licenses and vehicles, and could even be fined up to $2,000.\r\nOur original story follows:\r\nRidesharing service Lyft just announced that it will enter the New York City market on Friday at 7pm Eastern, but it\u2019s avoiding Manhattan in favor of the Brooklyn and Queens boroughs.\r\nLyft noted that it is launching first in the areas of New York that are \u201Cvastly underserved by public transit options.\u201D The company claims to have undertaken a screening process for all NYC drivers that is more stringent than the city\u2019s taxi companies. New passengers can enjoy two weeks of free rides in New York as a launch promotion.\r\nIn somewhat related news, the New York Attorney General announced today an agreement with rival car service Uber to limit surge pricing during emergencies and natural disasters, in keeping with the state\u2019s price gouging laws.\r\n\u00A0\u27A4 Lyft Launches in Brooklyn &amp;amp;amp; Queens [h/t TechCrunch]\r\nFeatured Image Credit \u2013 Lyft"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://thenextweb.com/insider/2014/07/08/lyft-launch-new-york-just-brooklyn-queens-now/>