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A new rideshare app has entered the scene to take on leaders of the industry Uber and Lyft. The app is a bit different than other leaders of the industry, as it is actually specific to just Colorado. This differs largely from Uber which can be utilized in 70 different counties around the world. Even Lyft, which is primarily American, can be used all around the United States and in parts of Canada. However, this new app, known as Drivers Coop Colorado, is a much smaller scale operation, with abilities to take care of employees a little more. Rather than be seen as individual contractors, drivers working for Drivers Coop Colorado are part owners in the cooperative business model.

The app has been supported largely by the non-profit organization, the Rocky Mountain Employee Ownership Center.

The executive director of the non-profit organization, Minsun Ji, believes the company and app are an excellent way to explore employee-ownership opportunities. Ji spoke on behalf of the other team members of the non-profit, expressing the excitement they all feel, especially given that the Drivers Coop Colorado app will be the first of its kind. No other community-led rideshare app has been introduced thanks to community organization.

According to the app’s actual creators, there are three main goals that they have in mind.

Firstly, they hope to be able to increase the wages of drivers. They plan to do this by having 80% of the fare money go straight to the driver. Secondly, they want to reduce the cost riders pay per fare. They plan to do this by cutting down on overhead costs that would normally come from CEO wages for traditional companies. The last goal they have is to provide more rides to marginalized communities in which traditional apps such as Uber and Lyft are less available. They plan to prioritize providing rides to the elderly, disabled, and previously incarcerated.

Currently, Drivers Coop Colorado already has around 250 drivers around the state. While this may sound like a lot, it still is small enough to mean there might be longer wait times. However, they have advised that they have over 1,500 in process applications, meaning the high waits should start to decrease soon enough. Nonetheless, the app is available for download and use now!