Ride-hailing giants Uber and Lyft face a problem in Washington, D.C.

Ironically, it’s the same problem that taxi companies faced when Uber and Lyft arrived on the scene: new competition. Uber and Lyft made their mark by offering more reliable and cheaper rides than taxi companies. But for more than a year now, another ride-hailing firm, Empower, has been disrupting the local market by offering generally cheaper rides than Uber and Lyft.