Seniors and disabled residents of Los Angeles County can receive free rides through Lyft from now until the end of the year.
The ride-hailing service has partnered with Southern California Resources for Independent Living in L.A. County and Self Help for the Elderly in San Francisco County to provide $20,000 in free ride credits throughout the month of December.
The program, Lyft officials say, is designed to help “break down some of the barriers these individuals face during holiday travel.”
“Holiday travel is stressful under the best of circumstances, but for those living with a disability or who are elderly, it can be especially difficult,” said Nicholas Johnson, Lyft’s Public Policy Director. “Lyft’s mission is to make travel easier, and by helping remove some of these pain points, we hope to improve these individuals’ holiday travel experience so they can spend more time with the ones they love.”
Qualifying riders can get a code for up to $10 off their next two rides, the company said. To access the credit, disabled and elderly riders will need to contact the Lyft partner organization nearest them, who will in turn provide a code for their next ride. The code can also be used on wheelchair accessible vehicles where available.
The program is currently limited to residents in Los Angeles and San Francisco counties, the company said.
Hector Ochoa is the director of Southern California Resources for Independent Living. He says transportation can be a “major barrier” for those living with disabilities.
“This holiday season, we’re excited to help make things a little easier by partnering with Lyft. Together, we can better empower people with any disability to live full and independent lives,” Ochoa said.
For more information about the program, Lyft’s accessibility policies, or how to order a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, click here.