Lyft is testing a new ride-hailing feature at Camp Pendleton in San Diego designed to make it easier to pick up and drop off passengers at U.S. military installations.
The “base mode” feature launched Tuesday in partnership with the U.S. military. Hailing a ride using the Lyft app can be a problem for people living or commuting to and from military bases because of security issues. The app might match a driver with a passenger on the base. But in most cases, the driver can’t access the base, according to Lyft.
The base mode feature only matches passengers to drivers who are allowed to access the base. These drivers might be military, military spouses, or retired veterans.
Lyft says it will share revenue with the military that is generated by the base mode feature. A portion of the revenue will be invested into recreation programs designed to support and strengthen the Marine Corps community, Lyft said in a statement Tuesday.
Lyft sees this as an opportunity to get more passengers and drivers on its network. If successful, the U.S. military could reduce costs of operating and maintaining fleet vehicles on bases.
The ride-hailing company is also collaborating with Fort Meade, a U.S. Army installation that is the largest employer in the state of Maryland with more than 12,000 residents and another 40,000 people who commute there daily. Selected Lyft drivers will be prescreened to have access to the base through a product developed jointly with the military.