Lyft’s New Program Will Give Users Free Rides to Job Interviews

Lyft is doing its part to give back to the community.  With the new Job Access Program, launched this summer, Lyft hopes to extend reliable transportation to those who need it most. The company announced the initiative to close the transportation gap and pledged a $50M commitment to free rides and sustainability initiatives.

Videos by Rare

study by the rideshare company showed that  35 percent of Lyft users do not own a personal vehicle and almost half of Lyft rides either start or end in low-income areas. It further stated that reliable transportation to and from work during the first few weeks of employment, starting with the job interview, can be a make or break point determining if an individual will have long-term employment. It is also the single strongest factor in changing economic status. Several people, people do not have this option, so the rideshare company decided to do something about it.

Lyft’s Job Access Program is offering free rides and discounted rides to those who do not have access to reliable transportation. This includes rides to and from job interviews and job training programs. The program is in partnership with non-profit branches that help people attain employment in 35 cities. United Way, National Down Syndrome Society, and Goodwill are amongst the brands involved in this effort. Some other groups partnering in the program include:

A few representatives have spoken on behalf of the brands in response to their partnership. Ashley Helsing, the Director of Government Relations at The Nation Down Syndrome Society said that there at over 560,000 Americans who have disabilities and are unable to leave home due to transportation barriers. She stated, “The ability to get around easily, especially for employment in the disability community, is crucial to the future.”

Senior Vice president of impact for United Way Worldwide, Alicia Lara said, “When we work with corporate partners like Lyft in pursuit of this goal, the entire community benefits and together, we can affect sweeping change that benefits us all.”

The Job Access Program is hoping to change the transportation infrastructure. If you want to get involved or donate, visit Lyft’s Round Up & Donate page here.

Watch: Gary Sinise Loves Raising Millions for Veterans

What do you think?

Inside Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O’Neal’s 18-Year Relationship

Teens Choke Off-Duty Officer Unconscious For Defending Woman