Today, we are expanding our Wait & Save pilot to most of our riders across the United States and Canada. Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, Lyft has provided access to transportation for essential services and is a lifeline for many communities. In looking at rides to and from essential locations (like supermarkets, convenience stores, police stations, drugstores, pharmacies, laundromats, and banks), the percentage of rides has increased over 100%. Offering affordable, reliable transportation is more important now than ever, especially as people are relying on transportation services like Lyft to fulfill essential needs.

To help slow the spread of COVID-19, we paused Shared Rides in all markets. This was the right thing to do but it also removed our most affordable ride option. To ensure riders still had a more affordable option, we launched Wait & Save, a new pilot where riders can opt for a longer wait time but pay a lower fare than for a Standard ride, while drivers earn the same as they do for a Standard ride. 

Now, more riders than ever will see Wait & Save as an option in their Lyft app alongside our standard ride modes. Riders who choose Wait & Save will always pay less than they would for a standard Lyft ride, and typically the longer they need to wait, the more they will save. This allows for the rider to be matched with the best-located driver. Of course, for riders that need a quicker pickup, a standard Lyft ride is still available and prices and ETAs are always shown in the Lyft app.

As the COVID-19 situation intensifies, it’s clear that Lyft provides access to transportation for essential services, and is a lifeline for many communities. We know that there are many who rely on Lyft during this time for rides to the grocery store or pharmacy, to work at essential businesses, or to care for loved ones. 

40% of Lyft rides in the U.S. start or end in a low-income area and during this time it’s more important than ever to ensure those who need rides are able to access one affordably. 

Bringing Wait & Save to riders around the United States and Canada is our latest effort to help riders and drivers who rely on Lyft during this unprecedented and challenging time. As the impact of COVID-19 becomes clearer we will evaluate all of our options to make sure Lyft riders are able to get where they need to go affordably and responsibly.