Lyft ramps up driver and passenger safety efforts

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
September 19, 2019 Read time: 2 mins

Ride-share firm 8789 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 additional safety courses.

According to a blog %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external post false http://blog.lyft.com/ false false%>, Lyft is now offering a ‘smart trip check-in’ service where - if a journey appears to have unexplained delays - its team will ask the driver and passenger whether they need support.

Lyft co-founder John Zimmer says all safety features in the app will be available in a single place, including a way to dial 911. Emergency assistance from the app displays vehicle information and the number plate, making it easier to inform dispatchers if necessary.

“We've known since the beginning that as part of our mission, we must heavily invest in safety,” he continues. “We continue to welcome accountability and partnership to best protect our rider and driver community.”

In February, Lyft formed a community safety programme committee led by general counsel Kristin Sverchek, and former US secretary of transportation Anthony Foxx. It has introduced 14 new safety features this year including increased anti-fraud measures and requiring detailed feedback for any rides less than four stars.

Urban Traffic Control

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Masabi: bespoke tech is holding transit agencies back
    September 30, 2019
    Sixty per cent of transit agencies looking to use account-based ticketing are struggling with bespoke technology which is slow to deploy and costly to maintain, claims Masabi. Masabi CEO Brian Zanghi says agencies have been “denied access” to systems that keep pace with technology in a cost-effective way and have had to invest in bespoke automatic fare collection (AFC) systems. “This has led to limited innovation with some agencies able to purchase the latest systems but leaving many underserved and left
    Read More
  • Bosch to trial driverless tech on Australia’s high-speed rural roads
    January 24, 2019
    Bosch has received an automated driving system (ADS) permit from the Victorian government to test automated vehicle technology on high-speed rural roads in the south-eastern Australian state. Bosch is to use a $2.3 million grant from the Connected and Automated Vehicle (C/AV) Trial Grants Programme to develop the technology, which will be tested later this year. The C/AV programme funded through the government’s $1.4 million Towards Zero Action Plan – an initiative which provides guidelines on how V
    Read More
  • Bolt launches dockless e-scooters in Madrid
    April 2, 2019
    Bolt, the ride-share company which was formerly called Taxify, has launched electric kick scooters in central Madrid. The firm piloted the vehicles in Paris last year – making it the first to combine scooter sharing and ride-hailing together in one mobile app, Bolt claims. “Beating the traffic is a big issue in cities like Madrid and a lot of trips are much more efficiently covered with an electric scooter rather than a car with a driver,” says Markus Villig, CEO and co-founder of Bolt. He says the dep
    Read More
  • Careem expands Iraq ride-share operation
    October 10, 2019
    Dubai-based ride-hailing company Careem has expanded into the Iraqi city of Mosul, according to a report by Arabian Business. The company is hoping to provide technology-based mobility options for riders and offer flexible employment opportunities for local drivers. Careem Iraq’s general manager Mohamed Al-Hakim says: “We hope that our entry will spur other companies to follow suit.” Careem expanded its service into the Iraqi city of Basra earlier this year, following its introduction in Najaf and
    Read More

Highlighted Content