New rideshare company Wridz taking on Uber and Lyft with driver incentives

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A new rideshare company guaranteeing more income for drivers is hoping to gain more market share with more stringent security measures, and no surge pricing.

Wridz can be found in Austin and 19 other regions around the country.

"We designed this company with my daughters and my wife in mind, and then trying to take care of the drivers better," Wridz CEO and Founder Steve Wright said.

"We came up with a program, that the driver really gets to keep everything from the fare except for, you know, the airport fee or you know, a little bit of insurance. But everything that can go to the driver does," Wright said.

How does Wridz pull that off? Drivers pay a subscription fee between $25 to $100 a month, but for now, they're only charging in one market.

"It is a very cost-heavy industry. I've been doing this for seven years. This is my fifth vehicle in that seven years," James, who is a full-time rideshare driver for Uber, Lyft and Wridz, said.

How Wridz avoids surge pricing

While Uber and Lyft both increase the price of a ride during surge hours, Wridz does not.

"We have something called Perk where the passenger can actually add a perk to entice a driver. So if they know well to other companies surging 60 bucks, and they don't want to pay that thing say, Well, you know what, I'll give James 30 bucks, or whoever, and the driver gets keep 100% of that," Wright said.

Both Uber and Lyft do not disclose the breakdown of the cost of a ride and how much goes to the driver during standard or surge pricing.

Though he makes more money driving for Wridz, James said he does 40-60 rides a week on Uber and Lyft, but only 20 on Wridz.

"But I'm trying to grow, just had business cards created for Wridz, so that people can order me directly as a driver, and trying to grow people who understand the Wridz app and understand its benefits," James said.

Wridz screening process

Wright said the company's security clearance process is thorough and includes a vehicle inspection.

"We only want the best drivers, we don't want all of them. You know, we've had drivers that can't pass the drug test, we do a face-to-face interview, by the way, with every driver. We do an extensive background check drug testing, and the whole bit," Wright said.