Unlike taxis in which there might be areas along the road or in malls where it has been designated as a taxi pickup zone, Uber and Lyft drivers do not have that privilege. However given Uber and Lyft’s business model and concept, we guess it doesn’t make sense for them to have designated pickup spots.
However over in San Francisco, Mayor Ed Lee has announced that the city has managed to strike up a deal with Uber and Lyft in which they will be testing out providing dedicated pickup spots for both services. However this won’t be “free” as Uber and Lyft are expected to provide traffic data from their apps.
What this means for Uber and Lyft drivers is that there will parking spaces along the sides of the road in San Francisco that will be marked and used as designated pickup and dropoff spots. Geofencing technology will be used in both Uber and Lyft’s apps for drivers to figure out which parking spots they can use and cannot use.
In a statement provided by Lyft spokesperson Chelsea Wilson, “Lyft looks forward to partnering with the Mayor’s Office. The details of the program are still being finalized, but we believe there is a way to share anonymized data that helps The City understand the current transportation environment while still protecting user privacy.” As for Uber, the company has stated they are “excited” to collaborate with the Mayor’s office.