Ride-sharing service Lyft introduced a new service Tuesday aimed at attracting more drivers and giving them more freedom for their pick-ups.
The new service, called Driver Destination, lets drivers choose destinations and pick up passengers that are heading in the same direction, according to TechCrunch. While Lyft drivers were previously only able to see a passenger's destination after they accepted a ride, drivers will now be able to only see passengers that can be picked up while going to their own destination.
Lyft built Driver Destination with the same technology it used to create Lyft Line, which matches up passengers traveling on the same routes. Driver Destination will be linked to Lyft Line, matching drivers with passengers going on the same routes.
The company wrote in a blog post that its new service "unlocks a new opportunity for people to give a ride during their own driving trips- like when running errands, or commuting everyday to work," Fortune reported.
Lyft added that about 80 percent of commuters drive to work without anyone else in the car, and that drivers could pick these commuters up and drop them off nearby "with minimum detours, making $400 per month in the process."
The target drivers Lyft is looking for with Driver Destination are those that don't want to pick up people all day but want to make money for rides they were already taking, as the company, Uber, and other services have been heavily reliant on contractors, TechCrunch reported.
These casual drivers will go through the same background checks, driver record checks and car inspections as regular drivers. The goal for Lyft is to get more drivers to give rides during commute hours so these drivers won't have to work long hours.
With Driver Destination, Lyft has the opportunity to provide more rides at a time during the day when rides are needed the most, while giving casual drivers a new, convenient way to make money.
