Lyft is now offering free rides to work or a job interview for people in various stages of the ’employment pipeline’
- The Jobs Access Program aims to bridge a transportation gap
- Lyft will give rides to and from work, a job interview, or job training in 35 markets
- The first 3 weeks of employment until one’s first paycheck is received are free
Lyft has partnered with several nonprofits to offer free rides for people that are beginning a new job.
With its newly announced Jobs Access Program, Lyft says it aims to help bridge a transportation gap that can prevent some people from holding steady jobs.
‘For the unemployed, reliable transportation to a job interview or to the first few weeks of work can mean the difference between successful, long-term employment and lost opportunities,’ wrote the company in a press release.
‘So we’ve partnered with several leading national and local organizations dedicated to workforce development in order to deliver free or discounted rides to people making their way through the employment pipeline.’
Lyft’s Jobs Access Program will give people in various stages of finding or beginning a job access to free transportation (File photo)
Among the groups Lyft’s program is designed to help are veterans, people with disabilities and people who live in low-income areas.
Lyft says 44 percent of its rides start or end in ‘low-income areas.’
The program will cover rides to and from job training programs, interviews, and for the first three weeks of employment until a new worker receives their first paycheck.
Partners in the program include United Way, The USO, Goodwill, National Down Syndrome Society, and more.
The program is being rolled out in more than 35 markets across the US and Canada.
Residents in 34 counties across northern California will be eligible for two free rides of up to $15 in value if they are going to a power outage relief center (File photo)
‘These partnerships are a critical lifeline for many communities and people with non-traditional work schedules, accommodating geographies and time periods that are often challenging to serve with traditional fixed-route transit,’ writes Lyft.
Lyft, much like its counterpart Uber, has come under fire in recent months after several controversies, including shortcomings on addressing sexual harassment by its drivers.
A lawsuit filed in April also alleges that the company has failed to provide handicap accessible vehicles for customers in California’s Bay Area.
