SXSW Tests Austin's Fledgling Ride-Hailing Companies

Published March 15, 2017 at 11:12 AM CDT

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Out-of-towners attending SXSW were disappointed on Saturday night, when local ride-hailing apps Fasten and RideAustin crashed. Marc Fridson of Brooklyn said he was worried about Uber's absence in Austin during the festival.
(Jorge Sanhueza Lyon/KUT) — Out-of-towners attending SXSW were disappointed on Saturday night, when local ride-hailing apps Fasten and RideAustin crashed. Marc Fridson of Brooklyn said he was worried about Uber's absence in Austin during the festival. (Jorge Sanhueza Lyon/KUT)

When Uber and Lyft left Austin, Texas, last year in protest of the city's requirement to fingerprint drivers, no fewer than six ride-hailing companies saw an opportunity to operate in the city.

But with the South By Southwest festival underway in Austin, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors, the new ride-sharing apps are being tested by the surge in demand. Audrey McGlinchy ( @AKMcGlinchy) of Here & Now contributor KUT reports.