NY attorney general: Lyft is a livery service, not peer transport, and would violate law

New York's attorney general has sued to block Lyft, the on-demand ride-sharing app, from operating in New York.

The lawsuit was filed Friday, hours before San Francisco-based Lyft planned to enter the New York City market. The suit says the company actually operates as a traditional for-hire livery service using mobile technology, not a peer-to-peer transportation platform as claimed.

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman says the company operates "in open defiance" of state and local licensing and insurance laws. He seeks a court order to stop its New York service until the suit is resolved, plus a civil penalty and loss of profits.

The suit says Lyft began operating in Buffalo and Rochester without authorizations in April and currently violates various laws.

A call to the company's attorney wasn't initially returned.