FILE IMAGE - A sign for the Lyft ride share pick-up area is seen on Aug. 20, 2020, at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images) Lyft is adding a temporary fuel surcharge on its rides to help drivers deal with surging gas prices in the U.S., following a similar move by fellow rideshare service Uber.
The company said in a statement that the surcharge will go to Lyft drivers, who fill up their own tanks, but did not provide details on how much more riders can expect to pay."We’ve been closely monitoring rising gas prices and their impact on our driver community," a Lyft spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday. "Driver earnings overall remain elevated compared to last year, but given the rapid rise in gas prices we’ll be asking riders to pay a temporary fuel surcharge, all of which will go to drivers."Like many drivers on the road, those employed by rideshare services have felt the brunt of high gas prices.The average U.S.
price of regular-grade gasoline on Tuesday stood at $4.31, which is 25 cents more than a week ago, 83 cents more than a month ago, and $1.46 more than a year ago, according to data from AAA.
Last week, the average price of gas exceeded the all-time high of $4.11 set in July 2008. In today's dollars, the previous record would be equal to $5.30 a gallon, according to the U.S.