Gest Carts have the convenience of an Uber or Lyft, but with an added perk: They’re free.
The golf carts travel to Dayton, Bellevue, and Newport, up to 14th Street in Covington, and even go across the river to Cincinnati.
Gest Carts CEO and Founder Patrick Dye started the company in April 2018 with his wife, Lauren Dye.
“We got tired of paying for Ubers and Lyfts back in the day because we were never going to drink and drive,” Dye said. “At the same time, trying to park, and we lived in the city, but trying to park to go to The Banks or go to OTR (Over-the-Rhine), go to Covington. So, we came up with this idea, and it took off.”
Are Gest Cart rides really free?
Yes. Advertisements on the outside of the carts allow the company to offer free rides. Drivers make an hourly wage but also get paid through tips.
Though tips are not required to ride, they are appreciated, Dye said.
The golf carts are street legal and treated as low-speed vehicles, according to Dye, which is how they are allowed to cross bridges and drive on the road.
“These can be driven at night,” Dye said. “They have license plates; they have all the stuff that you would need to be considered classified as a car.”
To request a Gest Cart, you can use the Gest Passenger app or call them at 513-421-4378, and a driver will give you an arrival time.
The company currently has 12 carts out on the streets.
Dye said standard pickup times are between five and 15 minutes, but if there is an event in the area, those times could fluctuate.
“In the city, if it’s super packed, the driver will tell them, ‘Hey, look, it is packed. We will be there as fast as we can. It could be 15 minutes; it could be 20.’ So, it gives it a little bit of a personal touch that you don’t get with Uber or Lyft,” Dye said.
For safety reasons, due to the lack of car seats on the golf carts, children 10 and under are not allowed to ride.
Gest Cart’s hours vary depending on events and games going on throughout the greater Cincinnati area; however, their standard hours of operation are:
- Monday: Open on game days
- Tuesday: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
- Wednesday: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
- Thursday: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
- Friday: 6 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.
- Saturday: 6 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.
- Sunday: Open on game days
The company has expanded to 11 cities since opening in 2018 and hopes to expand to 18-20 by the end of the year.
Gest Carts will be in operation Sunday for Riverfest; however, riders can expect delays due to the influx of people and road closures in the area.
