Lyft

Lyft is adding protected bike lanes and bike-friendly routes to its app to encourage more people to use two-wheeled transportation. The Verge reports that the protected bike lanes will appear as dark green lines in the app while bike-friendly routes that are less protected will be represented as dotted green lines. The feature is available for Lyft bikes and scooter-sharing services on iOS devices, with Android to follow soon. Lyft’s head of micromobility policy, Caroline Samponaro, says: “Each ride

Ride-share firm Lyft is seeking to head off concerns over passenger safety by requiring its drivers to take a ‘community safety’ course. Lyft has partnered with non-profit anti-sexual assault organisation Rainn, and drivers will be required to complete an education course designed by both parties. Riders and drivers must agree to Lyft’s community guidelines on behaving with care and respect. Passengers reported for violating these will be removed from the platform while drivers will be required to take add

Business life may be about to get trickier for transportation network companies following the passing of a new law in California which aims to give gig economy workers more rights. Assembly Bill 5 (AB5), which is due to come into effect in January next year, says that “a person providing labour or services for remuneration shall be considered an employee rather than an independent contractor” - unless three points are proved. One, that “the hiring entity demonstrates that the person is free from the con

The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) has presented its road safety awards to two individuals and four programmes in the US. Candace Lightner, president of We Save Lives - a non-profit organisation which focuses on reducing drunk, drugged and distracted driving - won the James J. Howard Highway Safety Trailblazer Award. She is also the founder of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Ford Driving Skills for Life (Ford DSFL) global programme manager Jim Graham received the Kathryn J.R. Swanson Publi

Toronto City Council has amended its vehicles-for-hire rules to improve safety and accessibility of taxis and private transportation companies including Uber and Lyft. Toronto mayor John Tory, says:” These new and updated requirements are a necessary step in protecting the residents and visitors of this city. Regardless of where they are going or how far the distance, we want to make sure passengers are able to access the service and get to their destination safely." The new rules will make it mandatory

The Transit Authority of River City (TARC) has released a mobility app in Louisville, Kentucky, which allows users to plan and book trips across multiple modes of transport. TARC says the integrated mobility platform allows users to access Uber, Lyft, Bird’s scooters and LouVelo’s bike-share service. Sumithra Jagannath, digital president at ZED, says the company’s Mobility as a Service (MaaS) platform is powering the app and provides “analytics and real-time data on system usage, origins and destination

Waymo is to deploy 10 autonomous vehicles (AVs) on Lyft’s platform to serve as a ride-hailing service in the Metro Phoenix area in Arizona, US. The company says it will deploy its Waymo One vehicles over the next few months to improve road safety and introduce AVs to more people. The deployment will allow riders to select an AV using Lyft’s app and provide Waymo with an opportunity to gain feedback on the service. Last December, Waymo launched its ride-hailing service in Phoenix for early riders who w

Ride-hailing company Lyft has recalled 3,000 electric bikes from cities in the US because of concerns over their braking systems. The brands affected are Citi Bike in New York, Capital Bikeshare in Washington, DC, and the Bay Area’s Ford GoBike. A similar statement on each company’s website says: “We recently received a small number of reports from riders who experienced stronger than expected braking force on the front wheel. Out of an abundance of caution, we are proactively removing the pedal-assi

Lyft is launching a Green Mode feature within its app to provide riders in Seattle with the option to travel in an electric or hybrid vehicle. The move follows the company’s planned introduction of thousands of electric vehicles (EVs) onto its platform this year. Lyft says the deployment will allow its drivers to increase net earnings as it says the cost of travelling in an EV is half that of a petrol-powered car, therefore saving hundreds of dollars per month on fuel costs. Drivers can switch

Lyft is to invest at least $50 million of profits to local transportation initiatives in the US as part of a commitment called Lyft City Works. Starting in Los Angeles, Lyft – which has just begun life on the stock market - says it will support local groups by providing transportation, developing transportation infrastructure and creating clean energy. The company is partnering with mayor Eric Garcetti’s A Bridge Home programme which seeks to tackle homelessness. Lyft will provide transportation to