Lyft will let users 'favourite' or block drivers in broader loyalty push

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Lyft Inc. is letting riders “favourite” or block their rideshare drivers as part of a broader effort to keep both users and drivers on the platform.

Passengers can add a driver to their favourites list after completing a ride to increase their chances of being matched with them again in the future, Lyft said in a statement Thursday. It’s also giving riders the option of blocking drivers to prevent future matches. Drivers who have been added as a favorite by riders will get priority access to their future scheduled ride requests.

For drivers, “this is another step towards providing additional earnings opportunities and building lasting relationships with riders,” Lyft said.

The feature will roll out in select regions in the coming weeks, with a wider launch in the US and Canada by the end of August.

It’s not uncommon for people making a living through online services, such as rideshare app drivers and Airbnb hosts, to eventually try and bypass these platforms to work with customers directly. In both cases, enterprising individuals might lure consumers by offering discounts on the side. That could threaten the amount of commission revenue that companies like Lyft make from facilitating the transactions.

“Our drivers are incredibly diverse. They all have different preferences and work in totally different ways,” said Jeremy Bird, Lyft’s executive vice president of driver experience. “My job is to keep pushing the app forward in ways that actually matter for everyone using it.”

Lyft, which holds about 25% of the US rideshare market, has released other features this year to ensure drivers stay on its platform so it can remain competitive against larger rival Uber Technologies Inc. In April, it launched an AI-powered assistant designed to help drivers plan their routes and maximize their earnings.

The company also warned drivers in a June email that they risk being deactivated on the platform if they use their Lyft credentials to participate in third-party aggregator services, which use data from the rideshare platforms to let drivers see which trips are the most lucrative.

Some third-party apps “automatically cancel rides, slow down response times and give some drivers unfair advantages over others,” Bird said. “My job is to make sure we’re protecting that level playing field, because when the marketplace works, everyone wins.”