John McDonnell/The Washington Post via Getty Images
- Uber and Lyft will roll out free rides to vaccination sites in the coming weeks.
- The White House announced the partnership with the ride-hailing companies on Tuesday.
- The program will run through July 4 as a part of Biden's efforts to vaccinate 70% of US adults.
- See more stories on Insider's business page.
Uber and Lyft will provide free rides to COVID-19 vaccination sites, the White House announced on Tuesday.
The complimentary rides will be available through July 4, The Wall Street Journal first reported. The program will be part of President Joe Biden's plan to vaccinate 70% of US adults in time for Fourth of July celebrations.
The new feature will launch within the next two weeks and the ride-hailing companies will provide transportation to about 80,000 vaccination sites. The offer will be promoted across Uber and Lyft apps.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi called vaccines "our best hope to beat this pandemic" in a statement about the partnership.
The two companies have offered discounted and free rides in the past few months targeted toward vulnerable populations, but the new program will be available to all US residents with a vaccine appointment.
"By May 24, riders will be able to get their ride code directly through the Lyft app or website," Lyft said in a statement. "After providing a few details, users will receive a code they can use to get rides to and from a vaccination site near them. Ride codes will cover $15 each way, which based on previous rides given to vaccination sites, we expect to cover most, if not all, of riders' fares."
Both companies told Insider that driver's pay would not be impacted by the program and the system would run normally for the drivers. While Uber did not provide a maximum price the company would cover for the vaccine rides, a spokesperson said Uber would share further details in the coming weeks.
Uber and Lyft previously offered a program that provided discounted rides to the polls for election day.