SAN FRANCISCO (WBTW) — Lyft will provide 60 million rides to and from COVID-19 vaccination sites in at-risk, low-income, and uninsured communities, the company announced Tuesday.
The rides will be subsidized for employees and members, and free or discounted for those in need, the company said. The rides will be funded by its corporate partners, such as Anthem, JPMorgan Chase, and United Way.
“Making sure people can get to vaccination sites when they need to is mission critical to beating this virus,” said John Zimmer, Lyft co-founder and president. “This is an opportunity to use our collective strength to mobilize on a massive scale and serve our communities. We cannot let lack of transportation be a factor in determining whether people have access to healthcare.”
The company said its transportation network provides services to at-risk communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19, many of which will be prioritized for early vaccine access.
The vaccine campaign is part of Lyft’s “LyftUp” initiative to make sure everyone has access to transportation.
The company said that, in addition to directly funding some rides, it would use marketing resources to connect people in need with community partners who would “route ride credits” to those in need of free transportation.
Individuals can also donate rides through United Way.
