Lyft is testing a new feature for Lyft Line users that will make rides a little bit cheaper.
The new feature allows Line riders that are willing to wait for a little bit longer to take less-expensive rides. I first spotted the feature when taking a ride from San Mateo. It appears to be a test, and features such as these tend to be available only to a small number of users. It’s still a test, so of course it could be removed or changed sometime in the future.
Given that it’s reducing prices, if successful, it seems like a pretty good idea. Lyft is running a bunch of tests including HotSpots — designated spots that Line riders can summon Lyfts from that will be cheaper than normal — and this could potentially be a new way to further reduce the cost of rides.
“This is a test we’re currently running in all Lyft Line markets,” a Lyft spokesperson said. “Similar to HotSpots in San Francisco, we continue to explore different ways to fill empty seats with Lyft Line while making rides more efficient and affordable for passengers traveling along a similar route.”
Lyft’s CEO Logan Green has said before that he hopes that Lyft will one day replace car ownership and eliminate traffic — and create an alternative to public transportation. In San Francisco, for example, a ride costs around $2.25. Granted, this was a trip from San Mateo into San Francisco — but if such a feature were available in SF and could drive the price down further, Green could get even closer to his goal.