If you are trying to get a Lyft ride, you may be wondering why it takes so long to get a Lyft ride or a Lyft driver. This is a very common complaint amongst Lyft passengers as the wait time is generally inconvenient.
This can be due to several reasons behind the Lyft system as well as the drivers that are available. To find out why Lyft is taking so long for you, keep reading to find out more.
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Why Does it Take So Long to Get a Lyft Driver?
It takes a long time to get a Lyft driver because the drivers are choosing to decline your trip. This could be for several reasons, whether it be because you are too far away, in a part of town that they are unfamiliar with, or don’t feel like taking it.
This can add significantly to the amount of time that you have to wait to get a Lyft ride, especially if your ride is declined by several different drives. On average, a trip is typically declined by at least two or three drivers.
This happens because Lyft drivers are not technically employees and can choose to accept or decline rides as they please. They are not forced to take your ride and can pass up as many as they want no matter why.
This is convenient for the Lyft drivers as it gives them more freedom, but it is very inconvenient for the passenger. As you have to sit and wait until a driver decides to accept your ride and comes to get you.
This process doesn’t always take a long time, but it can be very frustrating when it does.
How Long Should I Wait for Lyft?
How long you decide to wait for a Lyft driver is completely up to you and where you are going. If you need to get somewhere urgently or at a specific time, you may need to try a different service.
You should generally plan on waiting a few minutes up to ten minutes for a driver to accept your ride. Then plan on waiting an additional ten to fifteen minutes for the driver to get to your location.
If you are in a hurry, you may not want to wait any longer than five minutes for a driver to accept your trip. Otherwise, you risk not getting to where you need to go on time.
If there are only a few drivers available or they are all declining your trip, you can expect to wait as long as thirty minutes to get a driver. This isn’t even including the time it takes for the driver to get to you.
It all depends on whether or not you are in a hurry or if you have the patience to wait. Either way, it can be a frustrating experience to be kept waiting for so long.
How Can I Get Lyft Faster?
Lyft now offers a special way of getting Lyft rides at a faster pace so that you do not have to wait as long. The downside to this is that it only applies to those who need Lyft pickups at an airport.
If this does apply to you, however, it can be a great way of getting a Lyft ride faster. To do this you have to get a standard Lyft ride at a designated pickup area.
You will be sharing this Lyft ride with other passengers and will all be picked up at the designated locations. This will guarantee that you will get a Lyft driver faster and get picked up with less of a wait time.
This helps to remove the long wait time between getting a driver and waiting for them. This is especially useful when you are waiting at an airport and want to leave as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, this only applies to airport pickups for right now, as it would be difficult to set up for any other kind of pickup. If you want to get a standard Lyft driver faster, there really isn’t any way to do that.
You can try to avoid the busiest time for drivers or times when there are fewer drivers available. But other than that, there isn’t any way to change how long you end up waiting for a Lyft ride.
Is Scheduling Lyft Reliable?
You also have the option of scheduling a Lyft ride ahead of time if the option is available to you. If it isn’t, that is most likely due to the kind of ride you want or your location.
Scheduling a Lyft ride is a great way of trying to get ahead and get your ride ready so that it can be on time. The downside to this is that it is not guaranteed.
The way Lyft scheduling works, it just gives you a better chance at matching up with a driver in your desired time frame. It does not necessarily guarantee that you will be able to get a ride at the scheduled time.
This is why Lyft does not charge extra for this as you are not always going to get the ride at your desired time. This is more of a cautionary option to try and get a driver at the time that you need them.
It isn’t always a reliable option but it can give you a better chance at getting a Lyft ride when you want it. It can also make the process simpler as you do not have to sit there waiting to be matched up with a driver.
Using the scheduling option is a great way of trying to get a driver faster instead of right when you need them. It doesn’t always pay off but it can help in certain instances depending on the drivers available.
Why Does Lyft Matching Take So Long?
If you are waiting a long time to be matched with a Lyft driver, this is usually because the drivers are declining your trip. This can be for various reasons depending on location, area, and availability.
Some drivers are also just pickier and may not drive certain distances or to certain areas of town. You may also be getting a ride at a busy time of day when there are less drivers available to take your ride.
All of these things can contribute to a long wait time when it comes to getting a Lyft ride. Some customers have to wait up to thirty minutes to even get accepted by a driver, not including the time it takes for them to show up.
This is a very common complaint against Lyft, as it can take a lot longer than it should to get a ride. Unfortunately, there is also not much you can do about this as you are not in control of any of this process.
Some days you may get accepted by a driver within a minute or so, and other days it may take over ten minutes. It is very unpredictable, so you will need to be prepared for this.
This isn’t a service that will be ready at the touch of a button as Lyft drivers have freedom over their own schedules. Whether or not you get a ride quickly is going to be up to luck most days.