Lyft Sees a Future for Its Drivers in a Driverless World: Servicing Waymos

Lyft and Waymo, a self-driving-vehicle developer, have teamed up to add driverless rides to Lyft's platform. Riders can request these rides through either Lyft or Waymo's app, with service beginning in April. This marks a significant milestone for Lyft, which has previously collaborated with smaller self-driving vehicle companies in the US but never with a partner as large as Waymo, which operates in 14 US metropolitan areas.

Lyft executives view this partnership as the continuation of a conversation with its hundreds of thousands of US drivers, who work alongside robot drivers in a "hybrid network" model. Jeremy Bird, Lyft's executive vice president of global growth, emphasizes the company's commitment to transparent and proactive communication with drivers about the transition. To help drivers adapt, Lyft has organized AV-themed driver forums and driver appreciation events.

A glimpse of the future can be found in Lyft's operations depot in Nashville, where former Lyft drivers now work as fleet operations leads. These drivers oversee cleaning, preparing, repairing, and positioning Waymos in the city. Jonathan Baines, a former Lyft driver who started picking up riders in 2016, now oversees these operations and enjoys the benefits of being in a Waymo, such as relaxation and solitude.

Bird expects that more vehicles on the platform will lead to lower fares and more choices for riders. However, the transition to a driverless world may upend the lives of some professional drivers. Waymo has proposed setting aside revenue from DC to fund vocational training and workforce development to help local drivers transition to other jobs. Former drivers currently make up 35 percent of Lyft's Flexdrive workforce, and the company plans to continue hiring them as self-driving cars become more prevalent in the fleet.