You can now book a Lyft ride without using the app - just like a taxi

• Lyft rides in select Florida cities can now be hailed over the phone, like a taxi.
• Instead of using the app, customers can call 631-201-LYFT to book a ride through a Lyft agent.
• The new option is "perfect" for seniors or people who can't use the app, the company says.

Lyft is taking a page out of the taxi playbook by letting people in select Florida cities call for a car instead of using the Lyft app.

The new feature allows passengers to book an on-demand ride by speaking to a Lyft agent at 631-201-LYFT between Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Processes that are needed to hail a Lyft car through the app can then be completed over the phone. This includes making the credit or debit card payment, and verbally agreeing to health protocols implemented during COVID-19.

Instead of tracking the trip's progress through the app, Lyft will then text its Call A Lyft Ride passengers with ride information and a tracking link that can be shared with other people.

According to Lyft, this new ride hailing option is "perfect" for seniors and people unable to use the app in Florida cities like Boca Raton, Orlando, Miami, and Fort Myers. You can find the full list of eligible cities on Lyft's website.

This isn't Lyft's only app-less ride hailing option: passengers can also request a ride through ride.lyft.com. Like Call A Lyft Ride, users who've booked a car through the website will receive texted updates about the journey.

Uber, Lyft's larger competitor, has also previously explored bookings off of the app. In 2019 it introduced kiosks in Toronto's Pearson International Airport, allowing passengers to call an Uber car without using their smartphones.