Lyft’s coronavirus response: drivers will be able to help the community with delivering food and medical supplies

Recently, in efforts to protect public safety, Lyft and Uber have suspended pooled rides across the US. Now, Reuters reports that Lyft is establishing a new service, called LyftUp, in which drivers will be able to help deliver groceries and medical supplies to elderly people, as well as deliver food to children in need.

In a statement, issued by Lyft, the company announces its new efforts to help the community. Firstly, health and government organizations can now profit from Lyft’s on-demand drivers to deliver medical supplies and life-sustaining medications to the elderly, as well as to people with chronic diseases. Lyft will collaborate with government entities to help determine the people in most need of the service.

Secondly, the drivers will deliver food to students who had subsidized lunch at school and who are now unable to receive it due to the coronavirus protective measures. Food will be delivered to seniors that are home-bound as well. Additionally, Lyft will provide non-urgent medical transportation too.

This service is said to start in the Bay Area and later expand across California and the whole country.

Additionally, Lyft founders John Zimmer and Logan Green have decided to personally contribute to the efforts and will donate their salaries until the end of June to support Lyft drivers. The company is also working with other firms to provide temporary job opportunities to drivers while ride-hailing demand is decreasing. Reportedly, driver income over the last week has dropped by 70%.

Drivers who would like to participate in the new service are able to join the “LyftUp Driver Task Force” from Lyft’s website.