Shared electric vehicle provider Lime will roll out a new monthly subscription service called Lime Prime, which will reduce ride fees and waive unlock fees for Lime bike, scooter or moped rides, a Thursday (May 27) press release emailed to PYMNTS said.
By doing that, the release said there will be a way to boost sustainable commuting.
That could help as workers begin to return to offices as the pandemic-prevention measures recede in the U.S.
Lime is attempting to stave off the return of some more harmful issues like car congestion in big metro areas, which the release claimed could harm global economic recovery.
The most frequent riders will see more savings through the reduced ride costs, the release said. For instance, when a rider takes one trip per day, that rider will save about $25 per month, with the savings reportedly increasing every ride.
In addition, Lime Prime members will be offered benefits such as reliability features, including the ability for riders to reserve Lime vehicles for up to 30 minutes, as opposed to 10 minutes for standard users.
Another benefit is their sustainability aspect, with the company promising to plant a tree for every new rider who signs up for a paid Lime Prime membership through the middle of July.
“At Lime, our mission is to provide a reliable, affordable, carbon-free transportation network that allows riders to replace car travel for short trips, and Lime Prime is a key step towards that goal,” said Lime President Joe Kraus. “We want to reward riders that have made the switch to Lime with added convenience and a lower cost. It’s all part of our effort to help cities and their residents Spring Back with Lime and get moving again in ways that are safe and sustainable, as COVID-19 restrictions continue to [be] lift[ed] and people begin to rediscover everything that makes cities great.”
Lime has also recently begun offering “app-less” services, letting users rent scooters and bikes without downloading the app.
The company said this would let people simply walk up and scan a QR code to confirm the ride and pay with Apple Pay or Google Pay.