Ride-sharing services are (usually) a fast and cheap way to get from A to B, but sometimes, there's a problem: there's no ride nearby! To help solve this problem, Lyft is testing scheduled ride-sharing services to better reassure customers that a ride will be there when they need it most. The trial run only starts in San Francisco, and you can reserve a car anywhere within 24 hours for a small additional fee. You also have the option to update or cancel your trip up to 30 minutes before your scheduled appointment at no extra charge.
While the service is only launching in one city, Lyft plans to expand service this summer if it proves successful. Sounds like a smart idea, right? One time, I had to go to the airport around four in the morning and I was extremely worried that I wouldn't get a ride. The ability to schedule rides in advance will definitely come in handy.
While Lyft is still focusing more on providing on-demand ridesharing, giving riders the option to better plan ahead will certainly bring another layer of convenience. Now, not only can we request a last-minute ride (sometimes this is unavoidable, and often the entire process), we can also tailor our transportation to our specific needs.
There is another ride-sharing service in New York called Gett that has offered this feature for over a year, and there are rumors that Uber is also trying out the idea. Time will tell if scheduled rideshares become more common, and honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if they do. Of course, the on-demand nature of ride-sharing services does come in handy. But when you need to travel to the airport or perhaps have an important business meeting to attend, you just need a little extra security.
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