Lyft will now charge users for making their drivers wait upon pickup.
Specifically, standard riders will be charged a per-minute rate starting two minutes after the driver has arrived. Black and Black XL rides have a five-minute window. Lyft says disabled riders can apply for a waiver for wait time fees.
According to The Verge, a company spokesperson confirmed that the change was quietly rolled out in December. However, Lyft hasn’t clarified exactly how much people will be charged, simply noting that fees “vary by location” and “additional wait time charges may apply depending on how busy it is.”
For example, one New Yorker’s widely circulated tweet showed a charge of $0.58 USD (about $0.77 CAD) for a wait time for 49 seconds. “When did Lyft start charging a wait time fee?? Like sorry I took a minute to come downstairs?” wrote Twitter user @themarweaker on January 23rd.
When did Lyft start charging a wait time fee?? Like sorry I took a minute to come downstairs? pic.twitter.com/Q46cAWKERM
— Marq 🐸 (@themarkweaver) January 23, 2023
Notably, this comes well after rival ride-sharing company Uber implemented a wait time fee in 2016. It’s unclear why Lyft decided now is the time to introduce its own version of that.
Via: The Verge
