AMHERST, N.Y. -- As a former driver for ridesharing service Lyft, Chad Snowden said he was able to help people safely get where they wanted to go in and around Buffalo.

"Passengers said, 'If it wasn't for you, I would have went to the bar anyways and drove my own car,” he said.

Snowden was joined by several other drivers and ridesharing officials Friday morning as they rallied for legislation that would bring the service back to the area after its departure last summer.

Ridesharing, or peer-to-peer carpooling services like Lyft and Uber, allows customers to request a ride, track a driver's arrival, and pay through a smartphone app. Drivers are local and sign up through the service's website.

Lyft Public Policy Manager Diana Dellamere said, "[It provides] economic opportunities, transportation options, reduces drunk driving, reduces traffic congestion - all these benefits for these communities."

Ridesharing is quite popular in Buffalo - in fact, when Lyft first launched locally last April, it averaged about 2,500 rides each week. It had to cease operations though in August.

"It's not here to bully anybody. It’s not here to take anything away,” Snowden added. “The biggest misconception is that it's going to disrupt the taxi cabs. It's another option for people to take."

Lyft received some flack in Buffalo for not operating with the same licenses and regulations as traditional taxi companies. A bill proposed by Assemblyman Kevin Cahill and state Senator Jim Seward would allow ride-sharing companies to perform rigorous background checks on drivers and insure them in accordance to the New York State Insurance Law.

"As it works in Albany, this is when most things get done. We really would like this to happen before the end of session because New Yorkers will be without the options that are all throughout the country,” Dellamere remarked.

Amherst Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Colleen DiPirro said, "Metropolitan areas across the country benefit from ridesharing. We can't be left behind."

Lawmakers have until the end of the session next Wednesday to vote on the bill.