Ridesharing apps were not just present to offer free rides last New Year, but also rides for those who missed the trains during the parties, perhaps because they partied too much and lost track of time. Here’s the scoop.
Missed the train? Worry not!
In Utah, those who partied too much, lost track of time, and missed the night train were still able to go home, thank you to Lyft.
The Utah Transit Authority, last New Year, offered coverage for the costs of Lyft rides for those who missed the last train or bus last New Year’s Eve. A sigh of relief.
On their website, they announced they paid up to $25 for Lyft rides for these passengers until 2 a.m., or even beyond, until supplies last.
Aside from those, the Utah Department of Public Safety also offered $10 Lyft credits to encourage people to go home safely, even if they had taken some booze. These credits became accessible via QR codes on the department’s site.
Lyft, Uber collaborating?
Not a real collaboration, though, but somehow. The official newsroom of Lyft echoed research that recommended that passengers download both Lyft and Uber, and check them both, so they won’t be charged too much money along the way.
“New research finds that only checking one rideshare app by default is costing you real money,” Lyft stated in its official release. “It’s New Year’s resolution season, which means your social feeds are full of ambitious plans: hit the gym daily, learn Italian, finally organize that junk drawer. But here’s a resolution that requires zero willpower, takes two seconds, and saves you money: Check Lyft and Uber before you book your ride.”
Yes, new research from Harvard and Johns Hopkins economists shows that this specific habit could collectively save ridesharing users hundreds of millions of dollars. Like having either as your backup!
How does that get expensive, though? Lyft further stated another study from the National Bureau of Economic Research that evaluated several ridesharing trips, millions in particularly, in the Big Apple in 2024, finding out that there’s an average of 14 percent price difference between Uber and Lyft for identical trips, “but which platform is cheaper changes constantly based on driver availability, demand, and time of day.”
The proponents of this study estimated that if each one of those riders in New York City simply checked both apps prior to booking, they would save around $300 million, collectively.
Or, $177 savings for a passenger who books 100 ridesharing trips in 2024, which you could use for streaming services, fancy lattes, or a nice dinner. And that habit of checking two rideshare apps only literally takes two seconds or maybe even less.
Point taken! Lyft offered a better analogy for you to understand further.
“Think of it like checking gas prices at two different stations on the same block. It changes throughout the day based on their individual supply chains, pricing strategies, and costs. Neither is always cheaper – which is exactly why checking both matters,” the ridesharing app stated in their release.
For more ridesharing news, keep browsing this Ridesharing Forum site.