In a move to potentially speed up pickups, Lyft will soon allow riders to opt-in, likely through a setting in the app, to be matched with licensed taxis if they offer a faster arrival time than a standard rideshare.
Bloomberg reported on Thursday, April 24, 2025, that the company will launch this feature in St. Louis on May 5th, confirming plans discovered within its mobile app code.
‘We’re always exploring new ways to help riders get to the people and places they love,’ the company said, per the report. ‘We’re excited to launch taxis onto our platform in St. Louis, which marks our first taxi integration in the U.S.’
Users who opt-in to this feature may be picked up in a taxi when they request certain kinds of rides, and they will be able to pay, tip, and submit a rating for the cab within the Lyft app, just as they can for a rideshare vehicle, according to the report.
Rival rideshare service Uber has long integrated taxis in select U.S. and international markets, allowing riders to specifically request a taxi. In contrast, Lyft’s initial approach will see the platform dispatch either a taxi or a rideshare vehicle to users who opt-in, based on which can arrive faster.
Beyond this U.S. taxi integration, Lyft is also making significant moves to broaden its transportation offerings in Europe with its $197 million purchase of FreeNow, a Germany-based company offering a comprehensive taxi and ride-hailing app, from BMW and Mercedes-Benz Mobility.
The company said the acquisition will allow it to fuel growth in more than 150 European cities and is expected to almost double Lyft’s total addressable market to more than 300 billion personal vehicle trips per year.
This push for new transportation options comes as Lyft reports strong recent growth. In February, Lyft reported a 15% year-over-year increase in fourth-quarter bookings, bringing in $4.3 billion. The company said this increase was powered by a 15% increase in rides, totaling 218.5 million, and a 10% rise in active riders, reaching 24.7 million — the highest in Lyft’s history.
Lyft CEO David Risher expressed optimism about the company’s trajectory, stating during the February earnings call, ‘We’re seeing great demand. We’re super excited about what lies ahead.
