Lyft Ride-Sharing Service Adds Roadside Assistance

Lyft Pink is a $100-a-year service for ride-share users who might also need some assistance with their own vehicle if it is stopped along the side of the road.Similar to AAA, Lyft Pink can now offer you a tow or a little bit of gasoline or change your tire anywhere in the U.S. (well, except Nevada).If you’re in a pinch and need help now, Lyft does offer a free one-month trial, and new users are allowed to request a service call as soon as they sign up.

Hailing a Lyft is about to mean something new. The ride-hailing company has announced an expansion of its extra-cost Lyft Pink service to include roadside assistance perks like getting a jump-start or some gas delivery. Users who are familiar with the way a ride-share vehicle can be seen approaching on your phone’s map will feel right at home as they watch a tow truck arrive. The new roadside assistance services are built into the standard Lyft app.

Lyft is expanding its services in part to compete with AAA. Lyft notes that anyone signing up for Lyft Pink can take advantage of the assistance right away without the waiting period that AAA requires. Lyft Pink customers are limited to four free service “events” a year, but note that two things being taken care of on one trip—gas and a tire change—will count as two events. After the first four events, or to people who aren’t Lyft Pink members, Lyft also offers these services for $71 each. Lyft does not offer its roadside assistance services in Nevada.

Both Lyft and AAA offer similar assistance services aside from those mentioned above, including changing tires, providing access to your locked car, and off-road rescue. Of course, since Lyft still operates its ride-hailing business, it can offer its Lyft Pink customers priority pickups and discounts on some rides.

Lyft’s expansion into services that help people with their personal vehicles stands a bit at odds with the company’s founding message that ride-sharing would lead to reduced personal vehicle ownership. In 2017, a study conducted at the University of Michigan found that in places where on-demand ride services were available, people were more likely to buy fewer cars and take fewer trips. But that doesn’t mean we’re all just riders in someone else’s car these days, and sometimes we still get stranded.

Lyft Pink costs $9.99 a month or $99 for a year. A higher-level tier, Lyft Pink All Access, costs $199 a year and adds bike and scooter offers to the plan. You can also sign up for Lyft Pink for a free one-month trial in case you’ve got any road trips coming up.

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