Myrtle Beach International Airport Ends Agreement with Rideshare Company to Boost Parking Facility

How it all started

Myrtle Beach International Airport has decided to cut ties with popular car-share company Turo, to expand parking space availability for visitors to the popular South Carolina locale. This dramatic move, made official on August 12, 2024, comes after months of tenuous negotiation and is expected to considerably enhance the parking facility at the airport by freeing up hundreds of slots.

The Roadblock

This decision, while beneficial for the airport, does not bode well for Turo and its hosts. Matthew McCarty, one of the drivers for the car-sharing giant, expressed significant concern over the development. He said, “We’re going to lose a lot of business over this.” He also expressed fear about the precarious financial condition of the hosts associated with Turo, and how this setback might push them towards economic insecurity due to their high overhead expenses.

Lack of Concurrence

Ryan Bechter, the official spokesperson for Myrtle Beach International Airport, explained the decision, saying that though they had been in discussion with Turo since December, stall talks were a result of Turo’s unwillingness to move forward in “good faith”. However, attempts to contact Turo for further details on the subject have not yielded any response.

It’s worth noting that Turo has successful deals in place with other airports around the state, namely Charleston, Columbia, Greenville-Spartanburg, and Hilton Head Island, which makes the deadlock at Myrtle Beach International all the more intriguing.

Legal Aspects

Myrtle Beach International’s decision also finds its grounding in legality. Horry County’s Code of Ordinances prohibits businesses from functioning on public property, including an airport, without prior approval. This might possibly be one of the primary triggers for the abrupt termination of the agreement with Turo, as hinted by the spokesperson, Bechter.

What’s next

With the decision now in effect, many fear that it could impact families looking to find rides to and from the airport. In however way the situation unfolds, this move by Myrtle Beach International Airport holds significant implications for the change in business dynamics at airports and challenges that businesses like Turo might face in the near future.

Source:

HERE News Network

Author:

HERE News