More than 150,000 people have applied for Lyft’s new “Ditch your car” program where, for one month, Lyft will subsidize your public transportation to the tune of around $550.
Back in August, I wrote about residents in Chicago getting the opportunity to “Ditch their cars” and, in return, they get $550 towards public transportation services. It looks like that pilot program was a success as per Automotive News in an update on the program they posted about earlier this week (Oct. 4, 2018) they’re not only expanding the “Ditch Your Car” program, it’s already rolling out in over 35 markets around the world.
A quick search on Lyft’s official blog reveals that this program already started a little over a week ago. The program officially starts on Oct. 8 but participants who signed up online are already finding out if they’ve been chosen or not including instructions on how to get their public transportation credits.
Lyft’s Chief strategy officer Raj Kapoor was quoted by Auto News as “expecting several thousand entrants,” but not on this scale.
A quick search on Instagram with the #DitchYourCar already shows dozens of posts from people excited to start on this Lyft initiated experiment.
View this post on Instagram
And I always complain I don’t ever win anything!!! Thank y’all!??? #Lyft #DitchYourCar #Lit
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Thanks @lyft for helping me #ditchyourcar this next month! #advantageWaris @lyft @niceridemn @zipcar
As you can see in their posts, just like the pilot program in Chicago, winners receive a mix of public transportation mostly including hundreds of dollars in Lyft credit, oftentimes a bus pass, use of electric bikes and scooters, and, if available, credits for Zip Car rentals.
If you think about it, the majority of people will use Lyft for most of their rides throughout the month as needed. But, as some people will find out, $300 isn’t nearly enough for a whole month. That’s where bus, metro, and light-rail kicks in. And, for that final or first mile, there are electric scooters and bikes to use. On the off chance you need to go on a weekend trip, car rentals like Zip Car takes care of that.
“We are on the brink of a massive shift in personal transportation, moving away from ownership and into transportation as a service. Ditch Your Car is an extension of the mission we’ve been committed to for over a decade,” said Co-Founder and President, John Zimmer.
This type of experiment probably is possible in markets where public transportation is top notch. In markets, like where I live, in the San Joaquin Valley where the main sources of transportation are Amtrak and buses, this might not work out so well.
John Zimmer’s been quoted to predict that cars would be dead in major cities by 2025. Sure, in major cities.
Long term, think autonomous vehicles replacing Lyft drivers and you’ve got the crux of how Lyft envisions transportation.
I’ll be curious to see how this #DitchYourCar plays out. I’m sure it’ll be mostly a success.
As for me, I’m still keeping my car.
Source: Automotive News
