Uber Rival Lyft Is Giving Out Free Rides For The Next Two Weeks In 24 Cities
As part of the launch in those cities, Lyft is giving out unlimited free rides for two weeks. The idea is to help people explore everything their cities have to offer - be that shows, parties, or dining experiences.
Drivers will still get paid during these free trips, so Lyft will be eating the costs for two weeks.
"This helps us to scale more quickly," Lyft co-founder John Zimmer tells Business Insider.
Lyft is now live in 60 cities across the country. Uber, on the other hand, is live in just 48 cities throughout the country. Though, it's worth noting that unlike Lyft, Uber is also available internationally, bringing its total number of cities to 99.
As part of the launch, Lyft is also dropping its prices by another 10% during the spring. This comes just a few weeks after Lyft dropped its prices by 20% across the country.
It's interesting timing given that Uber recently raised its prices for both its black car service and low-cost UberX service. Meanwhile, the New York Attorney General is investigating the legality of Uber's surge pricing. So it's not surprising that Lyft hasn't yet launched in New York.
"New York is personal," Zimmer says. That's because Zimmer was born in the area, and really wants to give NYC a "similar company energy" that it has in San Francisco.
Earlier this month, Lyft raised a $250 million round of funding backed by Alibaba.
See below to see the 24 new cities Lyft is live in. To date, Lyft has raised $332.5 million.
