Lyft offers free scooter rides for coronavirus health and transit workers

Lyft on Friday said it's making available unlimited 30-minutes rides to critical workers in Austin, Denver, Los Angeles, the District of Columbia metro area, San Diego and Santa Monica, California.

To qualify, employers need to enroll their workers in the program. Lyft said the the free service will run through April 30, and as part of the service Lyft said it's deploying additional scooters around hospitals.

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Lyft said it's offering similar free services for those doing critical jobs in Boston with Bluebikes, Chicago with Divvy, New York with Citi Bike and the San Francisco Bay Area with Bay Wheels. The free rides for critical workers are part of an expanded effort by Lyft to assist during the crisis and keep its drivers working, including offering assistance for low-income seniors, young families and people with disabilities and delivering medical supplies.

Lyft and Uber drivers have expressed concerned about driving during the crisis, and ride-share drivers in California asked both companies to take steps to protect them. Uber has also asked the federal government to include its drivers to be considered for federal assistance.