Lyft offers freebies to encourage people to ditch their cars
If you're a Lyft rider in Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Chicago and are considering selling your car, then you could be in line for some freebies from the ridesharing company. The offer is part of Lyft’s Ditch Your Car campaign aimed at reducing car ownership and easing traffic congestion in major cities.
Lyft Pink is the ridesharing company’s new monthly subscription service
Lyft is abandoning its $299-a-month All-Access Plan in favor of Lyft Pink, a new offering for frequent riders that costs a more reasonable $20 a month. The fee scores you a 15% discount on each ride, along with a bunch of perks that include priority airport pickups, waived lost-and-found fees, and surprise offers.
The best cars for Uber
Driving for a ride-hailing service like Uber or Lyft is a great way to make extra money, but you won't earn much if you spend all of your profits on fuel and maintenance. Here, we've rounded up the best options for those looking for a car that expertly balances safety, fuel economy, and comfort.
Lyft to give job seekers free rides to interviews and training programs
As part of its multi-million-dollar initiative to improve U.S. cities and the lives of those who live in them, Lyft is to offer free rides to select job seekers going for interviews or attending training programs. The Jobs Access Program will see Lyft focusing on communities in 35 cities in the U.S. and Canada.
Uber is now arguing that it doesn’t actually have any drivers
In light of AB5, a new California law that will require Uber to classify its drivers as employees, The Washington Post has uncovered a long history of the rideshare company referring to drivers instead as independent, third-party transportation providers in various court cases.
Uber investigators were forbidden from reporting criminal allegations to police
A new report reveals that Uber's internal investigation team that handles customer complaints of crimes like sexual assault and rape are “forbidden” from reporting allegations against drivers to authorities. Uber won’t remove a driver from the platform unless they get three strikes for “bad behavior.”
Lyft folds all of its transportation options into its main app
Lyft's main ridesharing app will soon show options not only for car rides, but also for bikesharing, scootersharing, car rental, and public transit — all on the same screen. Uber recently pulled a similar move as both companies work to become multi-modal transportation businesses.
Lyft adds protected bike lanes to its app for safer bikesharing rides
Lyft is adding data for protected bike lanes and bike-friendly routes to its app in a bid to ease the fears of first-time bikesharing riders, and to make rides more comfortable and less stressful for its existing users. The routes can also be used by rentable electric scooters, depending on local laws.
Uber says drivers aren’t an essential part of its business
Uber’s top lawyer said it would not comply with a California bill that would force it to treat its contract drivers as employees, claiming they are not a core part of the company’s business. Chief legal officer Tony West said that the company would not reclassify drivers under California Assembly Bill 5.
14 women sue Lyft after drivers allegedly sexually assaulted them
Fourteen women have filed a lawsuit against Lyft for allegedly being raped and sexually assaulted by their rideshare drivers. The victims are alleging that the ridesharing company doesn’t do enough to protect female passengers and have failed to cooperate with law enforcement. They also say Lyft could add more features to improve safety.
You can now combine transit with ridesharing and biking in Google Maps
Google has announced a new feature for Google Maps that will allow users to combine transit directions with ridesharing and biking. The new Mixed Modes feature is rolling out to customers in 30 countries in the next few weeks, and more countries will be added in the near future.
Here’s why your Uber or Lyft car always seems to be a Toyota Camry
The Toyota Camry is one of the most popular cars sold in the United States, and not just with retail buyers. Uber and Lyft drivers love the Camry for its reliability, according to a new report. The Toyota Camry made up 38% of rideshare vehicles in New York City in 2018.
There’s a hidden environmental cost to renting electric scooters to get around
Electric scooters are touted as an environmentally-friendly way to get around town, but a new study suggests that they might be worse for climate change than the transportation methods they’re replacing. According to the North Carolina State University Study, walking and biking are better options
Lyft pulls its bikes from San Francisco streets after apparent battery fires
Lyft has suspended its bikesharing operation in San Francisco following two fires in the space of a few days. The cause is thought to be faulty batteries that power the pedal-assist two-wheelers, though this is yet to be confirmed. Operating under the Bay Wheels brand, the new bikes launched only two months ago.
For $25 a month, Uber will give you rides, rent you a scooter, and grab dinner
Uber is quickly becoming more than just a rideshare company. It's working on a monthly subscription plan that gives users access to discounted rides, free Uber Eats food delivery, and free JUMP bike and scooter rides. The plan is being tested in San Francisco and Chicago.
Lyft reveals how it intends to help in the event of a major disaster
Joining the likes of Airbnb, Facebook, and others, Lyft has revealed how it intends to use its ridesharing operation to assist relief efforts in urban areas hit by a natural disaster. Lyft’s Disaster Relief Access Program includes offering free rides and sharing important information through its social channels.
Lyft’s robo-taxis have made more than 50,000 rides in Las Vegas
Lyft has announced that it's now provided over 50,000 automated rides to paying passengers in Las Vegas a year after it launched the service with vehicle technology company Aptiv. Riders have responded positively about their experience, with most trying the self-driving technology for the very first time.
Lyft’s wallet-friendly Shared Saver option arrives in six more U.S. cities
Lyft is expanding its wallet-friendly Shared Saver option to Atlanta, Las Vegas, Miami, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle after launching it earlier this year in Denver, New York City, and San Jose. With Shared Saver, riders can reduce trip costs by walking short distances and sharing the ride with strangers.
Lyft’s new safety features include an in-app 911 panic button
Lyft is introducing several new safety measures to its ridesharing service, including an in-app panic button so riders can quickly and easily make an emergency call. Pressing the button also brings up the rider’s precise location and the vehicle’s license plate, which can be communicated to the dispatcher.
Many Uber and Lyft vehicles have glaring safety issues, report says
A Consumer Reports survey of roughly 94,000 cars registered with Uber and Lyft in New York City and Seattle found that many had open safety recalls. The rate of open recalls was similar to that of personal cars, however. It's down to the drivers to ensure these recalls are fixed.
Digital Trends Live: Amazon’s packaging machines, Tamagotchi returns, and more
On today’s Digital Trends Live, we discuss today’s top trending tech news, including: Amazon’s new packaging machines could replace 1,300 jobs, Apple’s credit card goes to employees first, Lyft eyes long-term car rentals, the Tamagotchi returns to America, a new robot that climbs walls, and more!
Lyft is eyeing car rentals for longer trips and weekends away
Although best known for ridesharing, Lyft has recently turned its attention to bike and scootersharing, too. And now it's testing a car rental service in its home city of San Francisco. Customers can use the cars for between one day and two weeks, and reserve extras such as bicycle racks for free.
The Uber, Lyft strike appears to be a flop, but it might have spooked investors
By all accounts, Wednesday's Uber and Lyft strike wasn't very successful, or well attended, with a handful of picketing drivers showing up in most cities. Where it may have had an effect though is on Wall Street as Uber heads for its IPO on Friday.
Digital Trends Live: Google I/O wrap-up, Lyft and Uber strike, and more
On today’s Digital Trends Live, we talk Google I/O conference wrap up, the Lyft and Uber strike, Amazon opens a Go store in New York that will accept cash, Germany opens electric highway for delivery trucks, Japan’s successful rocket launch, 3D organs take a major step, and more.
Uber and Lyft drivers are striking all over the globe today. Here’s why
As Uber prepares for its IPO later this week, drivers are sending a clear message that they're unhappy by participating in a planned strike on Wednesday. As a result, there's a good chance that in some areas, using rideshare might be expensive if not very difficult.
Lyft taps Waymo for driverless robo-taxi rides in Phoenix
Ridesharing company Lyft is about to begin offering a robo-taxi service in Phoenix, Arizona, thanks to its partnership with autonomous-vehicle specialist Waymo. It'll begin with 10 self-driving vehicles, with Lyft customers able to request rides through the app, in the usual way.
Digital Trends Live: Prime’s one-day shipping, Samsung Fold delay, and more
On today's DT Live, we discuss Amazon Prime's one-day delivery plans, the Samsung Galaxy Fold is on hold, Lyft goes grocery shopping, compressed air energy storage, Tech Briefs, a browser that pays you in crytocurrency, quantum interfaces, the balloon internet gets and investment, and more.
Lyft is offering free bikeshare rides to highlight Earth Day
To highlight Earth Day and promote its own green efforts, Lyft is offering free rides with its bikeshare programs in six cities across the U.S. on April 22. Lyft expanded into bikesharing in 2018 when it acquired Motivate, the largest provider of bikesharing services in the U.S.
Lyft pulls thousands of ebikes from three U.S. cities over safety issue
A brake problem affecting 3,000 electric bikes operated by Lyft-owned Citi Bike, Capital Bikeshare, and Ford GoBike has prompted the company to take the two-wheelers out of service until the issue is resolved. The app-based bikesharing services operate in New York City, Washington D.C., and San Francisco.
Lyft trails Uber in popularity, but it just beat its rival to Wall Street
While Lyft is not as popular as Uber, it just beat its rival to Wall Street by becoming a publicly traded company. It started trading on March 29, and it's worth approximately $24 billion, which is more than investors expected. The same investors predict Uber will be worth about $120 billion when it holds its own IPO.
Lyft’s Shared Saver service offers cheaper rides, but you’ll have to walk a little
Lyft has launched a new ride option called Shared Saver that offers cheaper rides if you're willing to walk a little and share your trip. Similar to Uber's Express Pool, Shared Saver designates pickup points within a few blocks, and drops you off a short distance from your desired destination.
Uber and Lyft rides in New York City just got more expensive
If you use Uber or Lyft in New York City, you might have noticed your fares are now higher than before for the same trip. It's the result of a number of new rules that went into effect on February 1, one of which means better pay for the city's 70,000 ridesharing drivers.
Lyft and Aptiv’s self-driving car program has come a long way (but not far enough)
Many companies talk about self-driving cars, but Lyft and Aptiv are already using a fleet of them to transport paying customers in Las Vegas. The two companies claim to have given about 30,000 rides in modified BMW 540i luxury cars over the past year, with rave reviews from passengers.
NYC mandates minimum wage for Uber, Lyft, other app-based rideshare drivers
According to new rules voted by New York City's Taxi and Limousine Commission, drivers for companies such as Uber and Lyft must be paid at least minimum wage, even though they are independent contractors. The effective $17.22 hourly rate includes operating costs. Uber says the law will mean higher passenger fares.