Rideshare, cab shortages leave Iowa travelers stranded

ITS INOT STEVEN STACY. IN FACT, IT’S A PROBLEM ALL AROUND BUT IT SEEMS IT’S VYER NOTICEABLE RIGHT HERE AT THE DES MOINES AIRPORT. WELCOME TO IOWA AIRPORT JUST AFTER ONE FRIDAY AFTERNOON. TRAVELERS ARE WELCOME TO THE DES MOINES AIRPORT. PAT LANCE EAGLE IS ONE OF THOSE TRAVELERS. HE’S TRYING TO SCHEDULE A RIDE-SHARING SERVICE. IT WAS HAD TROUBLE CONNECTING AND NOWT' ’S TELLING ME THERE’S VERY FEW DRIVERS ANDOW N IT SAYS THIS TRIP EXCEEDS THE MAXIMUM LIFT FARE. WE CHECKED OUT UBER AT AUTBO 115 TO SEE ABOUT A RIDE DOWNTOWN FOR FIVE MILE RIDE FMRO THE AIRPORT TO KCCI. IT WOULD COST A LITTLE MORE THAN 14 DOLLARS AND WE WOULDAV HE TO WAIT IT DISCONNECTED ME. SO I JUST I JUST GOT IT LANCE SEAL SAYS THE DIFFICULTY IS STARTING TO GET FRUSTRATING A LITTLE BIT. I MEAN I CAN WALK TO A TAXI OVER THERE, BUT I I WOULD RATHER DO LIFT TRAVELERS MAY FIND TAKING A TAX. YOU A FEW YEARS AGO YELLOW CAB POSTED IN 99.5% OTIMEN- PICKUP FROM THE AIRPORT. WE’RE STILL PICKING PEOPLE UP 88 POINT SOMETHING PERCENT OF THE TIME WITHIN 10 MINUTES. AND YOU KNOW IT HAS STARTED TO OPEN UP RANDY SACKETT OWNER OF YELLOW. CAB SAYS NOT EVERYTHING. BOUNCING BACK THERE IS A ROADBLOCKRE PVENTING THE CAB COMPANY FROM APPROACHING 100% ON-TIME PICKUP. OURIG BGEST PROBLEM IS WE CAN’T FIND WORKERS. WELL, WE CAN’T FD QINUALIFIED WORKERS AND IT SAYS IT’S ARRIVING IN ONE MINUTE. SO A LITTLE PATICEEN MAY GO A LONG WAY. JUST ASK LAND SEAL ABOUT 20 MINUS AFTETER HE STARTED TRYING TO GET HIS RIDE SHARE. HE WAS FINALLY ON HIS WAY TO DOTOWNWN DES MOINES. NOW WE TRY TO A NUMBER OF OTHER RIDESHARE DRIVERS WHO TOLD US THEY AREIM SPLY TOO BUSY. THEY WERE RUSHING THEIR FAIRS INTO THE CAR SO THEY COULD GET MOVING AND GET ON TO THE NEXT STOP LIVE IN DES MOINES MARCUS MCINTOSH KCCI 8 NEWS. I WAS NEWSLETTER. HEY, IT’S NOT JUST RIDE SHARING. THERE’S A RENLTA CAR SHORTAGE TOO MANY RENTAL CAR COMPANIES SOLD LARGE PARTS OF THEIR FLEETS DURING THE PANDEMIC AND NOW THEY CAN FIND NEWAR CS BECAUSE THEY’RE MANUFACTURERS CAN’T BUILD THEM FAST ENOUGH TO MEET THE DEMAND BY THE

Getting a ride share or a cab ride from the airport can be difficult.At 1:11 p.m. Friday afternoon, we checked on an Uber from the airport to the KCCI studios in Downtown Des Moines, which is about a 5-mile ride.It would cost at least $14.50 and the app indicated there were no cars available.We met a traveler who had just gotten off his flight.He was trying to arrange a rideshare. "It had trouble connecting. Now it is telling me very few drivers," said traveler Pat Landsiedel.About 20 minutes later, Landsiedel was able to get the Lyft ride and was on his way.Rideshare drivers who pulled up to the airport tell us they were too busy to talk.Those who were taking cabs may have found it much easier.Just a few years ago Yellow Cab was boasting a 99.5% on-time pick-up rate from the airport."We are still picking people up at 88-point-something percent of the time within 10 minutes," said Yellow Cab Company owner Randy Sackett.Sackett says there is only one thing preventing the company from once again flirting with 100-percent. "Our biggest problem is we can't find workers, we can't find quality workers," Sackett said.

DES MOINES, Iowa —

Getting a ride share or a cab ride from the airport can be difficult.

At 1:11 p.m. Friday afternoon, we checked on an Uber from the airport to the KCCI studios in Downtown Des Moines, which is about a 5-mile ride.

It would cost at least $14.50 and the app indicated there were no cars available.

We met a traveler who had just gotten off his flight.

He was trying to arrange a rideshare.

"It had trouble connecting. Now it is telling me very few drivers," said traveler Pat Landsiedel.

About 20 minutes later, Landsiedel was able to get the Lyft ride and was on his way.

Rideshare drivers who pulled up to the airport tell us they were too busy to talk.

Those who were taking cabs may have found it much easier.

Just a few years ago Yellow Cab was boasting a 99.5% on-time pick-up rate from the airport.

"We are still picking people up at 88-point-something percent of the time within 10 minutes," said Yellow Cab Company owner Randy Sackett.

Sackett says there is only one thing preventing the company from once again flirting with 100-percent.

"Our biggest problem is we can't find workers, we can't find quality workers," Sackett said.

Rideshare, cab shortages leave Iowa travelers stranded

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