Ride-sharing is back in Corpus Christi. Tride, a ride-sharing company based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, began operating in Corpus Christi on June 11, just in time for the Weezer concert. GetMe, a company out of Dallas, hit the streets the last week of June. Both companies are complying with the city’s newly approved ordinance requiring fingerprint background checks for all drivers. 
Tride began talks with the city in April after the council approved the controversial ordinance. Two of the biggest transportation network companies in the world, Uber and Lyft, left the city when the ordinance passed, stating they could not operate profitably or serve their customers under such strict regulations.
Taxi companies applauded the move, stating that all transportation companies should meet the same safety requirements. Mayor Nelda Martinez agreed. 
Currently, Tride only serves two communities: Corpus Christi and Tulsa. The company might open shop in Midland, another city struggling to appease Uber with less restrictive ordinances.
“We are a small regional ride share,” co-owner Mack Park told Corpus Christi Business News. “We work better in smaller communities. We’re the little guy local grocery store versus Walmart.”
GetMe recently expanded its services tenfold in Austin after taking over where Uber and Lyft left off. The company continues to add to its number of certified drivers in the city since the May 7 election approved fingerprint background checks, driving Uber and Lyft out of the market. 
GetMe has also recently moved into Galveston, another town abandoned by Uber and Lyft over the fingerprint requirements.
On its first day of operation in Corpus Christi, Tride had seven approved drivers on the road with the goal of putting at least 20 new drivers behind the wheels of their own vehicles within the next week. 
To install the Tride app, search for Tride Passenger in an app store. You can also text “rideTrideCC” to 31996 to connect with a ride in Corpus Christi. For GetMe, do an app search on your smartphone.
Meanwhile, a group of residents have started a petition to put ride sharing on the November general election ballot. The goal is to do away with the fingerprint background check requirement so Uber and Lyft will restore their operations in the city.