Traffic & Transit

Lyft Opens Driver Center In Austin

The 28,000-square-foot center offers maintenance for drivers' cars but also a place to relax between pickups.

Lyft opened a 28,000-square-foot driver center offering car maintenance service for drivers and just a place to chill.
Lyft opened a 28,000-square-foot driver center offering car maintenance service for drivers and just a place to chill. (Lyft)

AUSTIN, TX — The ride-sharing firm Lyft opened a center on Tuesday designed to offer support for its fleet of drivers.

The 28,000-square-foot driver center offers vehicle services to operators such as maintenance and repair work — yielding something of a NASCAR-like pit stop with technicians on hand to offer car upkeep, officials explained — to help get drivers back on the road sooner. "The Driver Center provides honest prices on maintenance and routine services with the goal of delivering the service drivers need, rather than upselling them on services they don’t," officials said in a press advisory.

"The cost of maintaining a vehicle can add up, but when your car is a source of income, it becomes even more critical to get services and repairs done quickly so you can get back on the road," officials explained.

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Vehicle services include conventional or synthetic oil change; tire rotation and replacement; brake pad replacement; wiper blade replacement; filter changes; spark plug replacement; battery replacement; and free diagnostic inspections. Moreover, collision and body repair services will be available next month, officials added.

Sam Bond, Lyft regional director, speaks to those gathered at the opening of the ride-share firm's driver center at 6375 U.S. 290. Photo courtesy of Lyft.

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The hub also serves as something of a rest stop for the growing ranks of Lyft drivers in Austin, officials explained. To that end, the site offers clean bathrooms, comfortable resting spots, coffee and refreshments. Drivers also can connect with Lyft Community Associates representatives in person to ask questions about the ride-share firm's app, driver accounts and related matters.

Other driver services include:

  • Express Drive: A program which connects Lyft drivers to rental vehicles with standard maintenance and insurance coverage. Learn more at lyft.com/expressdrive.
  • Lyft Direct: A bank account designed for drivers’ needs with no fees, linked to a debit card, where they can instantly access earnings and receive cash back on specific purchases.
  • Openbay: "While we’ll be opening Driver Centers close to where drivers live and drive in some of our largest markets, Lyft Driver Centers won’t be available to 100 percent of our drivers," officials explained. "For drivers who do not live nearby, we’re offering other options to make affordable vehicle service convenient for most Lyft drivers. Through our Openbay partnership, Lyft drivers will be able to get exclusive discounts on vehicle service through a network of quality service providers all around their city."

Car mechanics are on hand to assist Lyft drivers with maintenance on their cars at the new driver center located at 6375 U.S. 290. Photo courtesy of Lyft.

The new driver center is located at 6375 U.S. 290. Drivers can schedule an appointment by visiting Lyft.com/drivercenter, looking for “Service” in their Driver app or simply walking in.


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