It's rude to make your cab driver wait beyond your scheduled pickup, and Lyft has found a way to compensate drivers for that by adding an additional fee when a customer is late. Wait times are now charged by the minute, which starts two minutes after the driver arrives on schedule.
Wait Time Charge Policy
The policy has been around since December 2022, according to Lyft's spokesperson, Katie Kim, but the policy has been updated recently. For standard cabs, customers will be charged two minutes after the driver arrives.
For Lux Black and Lux Black XL, riders will be charged five minutes after the driver arrives at the pickup location on schedule. If a driver arrives early, the wait time will still start after the scheduled time for pickup.
There are no specifications on the ridesharing company's website just how much it will cost per minute. It does indicate that the extra charge will depend on the location. The additional wait time charges may also apply to the trip depending on how busy it is.
The fees don't apply to certain rides like Lyft Shared, Access, Assisted, and Car Seat, according to The Verge. Wait times also won't be charged when a customer cancels the ride and is charged a cancellation fee.
Although Lyft claimed that they charge by the minute, a Twitter user shared a screenshot of her Lyft ride bill showing that Lyft charged for wait time under a minute. The receipt shows a 58-cent charge for a 49-second wait time.
When did Lyft start charging a wait time fee?? Like sorry I took a minute to come downstairs? pic.twitter.com/Q46cAWKERM
— Marq 🐸 (@themarkweaver) January 23, 2023
The rider sarcastically apologized for taking a minute to come down the stairs. Others pointed out that the app will give two minutes extra to get to the vehicle, and that they shouldn't order a cab if they are not ready for it yet.
Others also mentioned that the app shows the location of the vehicle that's supposed to pick them up, so the riders can see how close the drivers are and they can head out and wait for the Lyft cab to arrive.
It's a fair policy, seeing as the wait time could've been earned by the driver elsewhere. The same policy has already been implemented by other ridesharing companies like Uber, but Lyft can learn from Uber's mistake of charging wait times to people with disabilities.
Lyft's Exception for Persons with Disabilities
The transportation service is considering exemptions for riders who have disabilities, which may cause them to need more time to get in the vehicle, along with those who accompany them. They can submit a valid waiver for disability to avoid additional wait time charges.
When riders with disabilities or accompanying persons with disabilities are charged for wait times before a waiver has been submitted, they can request a refund. They can contact the company through its website by logging in.
For Certification of Disability, the user must go to their profile. Then, they'll need to sign in using the same credentials used on the Rider app. Select "Request a wait time waiver" found in the wait time fee waivers section, enter user initials in the field, and submit it.
