Uber and Lyft to offer free rides to vaccination sites

The two on-demand transportation companies will offer free rides to vaccination sites until July 4 as part of a new White House partnership.

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Uber and Lyft will offer free rides to vaccination sites until July 4 as part of a new White House partnership, the Biden administration has announced.

Both companies are already engaged in similar deals and this latest announcement builds on those commitments and introduces a formal government partnership.

How will it work?

It is still unknown how the Uber rides will be handled, but Lyft said a “ride code” will be available through its website or app by May 24.

Users will be able to go to Lyft’s website or app to get a code to ride to a nearby vaccination site after giving a few details. The codes can be used for standard rides as well as scooters or bikes offered through Lyft during standard pharmacy hours of 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

On the record

“By helping Americans get a free ride to a vaccination site, Lyft and Uber are eliminating a potential barrier and driving America closer to the President’s goal of getting 70% of the U.S. adult population with at least one shot by July 4th,” the White House said in a press release.

“The vaccine is the key to getting us all moving again, and we’re proud to do our part to move the country forward,” Lyft co-founder and President John Zimmer said in a statement. “We’ve always believed transportation has the power to improve people’s lives, and this initiative makes that truer than ever. Helping more Americans get vaccinated helps the Lyft community of drivers and riders, and we’re grateful to the Biden Administration for prioritizing access.”

“Vaccines are our best hope to beat this pandemic and soon everyone in America will be able to take a free Uber to get their shot,” Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a statement. “We are honored to deepen our previous global commitments, and partner with the White House and Lyft to provide free rides to vaccination sites across the US. This is a proud moment for me, for Uber, and for our country.”

Availability

According to the White House, the initiative would launch within the next two weeks with the idea to reach a major milestone by Independence Day.