Ridesharing company Lyft has updated its app to present users with multi-modal travel options, including information about shared mobility services and public transport.
Now, the app displays all available options including car rides, bike sharing, scooter sharing and car rental as well as buses, trains and other local public transport services.
Lyft hopes the move will make its app a one-stop-shop for people looking to get around a city.
Over the past year the company has added shared bikes and scooters to the app in selected US cities, and early user testing shows that the new design has led to more people scooting, biking and taking public transit — the most environmentally friendly options, and the ones most likely to help ease traffic congestion.
Lyft co-founder and president John Zimmer sees the update as a way of raising the profile of its full range of services, Digital Trends reports. He acknowledges that it could cut the number of rides taken in Lyft cars as people will find it easier to consider alternative methods for getting around.
“At Lyft, we’re working toward a future where cities are centred around people, not cars,” Zimmer said. “The changes we’re making today will unlock better transportation solutions — whether that’s a trip on public transit, a bike ride, or a shared Lyft — for people in cities around the country.”
Soon, the app will also help users compare time and cost across different ride types.
“In our vision of the future, you’ll subscribe to a transportation service just like you subscribe to your cell phone plan or your content streaming plan,” Lyft said. “You’ll have more ways to get around every city, and it will be easier to choose affordable, convenient rides.”
Tags: ridesharing, travel