Uber, Lyft unveil senior programs

SAN FRANCISCO — Uber and Lyft spent the last four years cornering the millennial market. Now they’re going after a new demographic: senior citizens.

Both ride-hailing companies recently announced partnerships with service providers that allow older customers to book rides through a phone operator, bypassing smartphone apps entirely.

The partnerships come as both companies continue to compete for drivers and passengers, with both companies announcing similar features (retirement benefits, health insurance and gas discounts, and same-day pay features for drivers, as well as carpooling, fare-splitting and scheduled rides) within months, weeks or even days of each other.

Lyft announced a partnership with the San Diego firm GreatCall on Tuesday. Uber announced a similar partnership with the Los Angeles firm 24Hr HomeCare last week. Neither service requires customers to have accounts with Uber or Lyft or to own smartphones. Lyft’s operator service is only available to GreatCall members, and Uber’s operator service through 24Hr Home Care, named RideWith24, is available to the public via a toll-free number.

“As we looked at the challenges older consumers have with staying in their home longer, one of the main issues is transportation,” said David Inns, chief executive of GreatCall, which boasts more than 900,000 customers nationwide. “With a lot of people in the seniors age group, they’re not at the stage where downloading an app and using it effectively is a great option."

Both services are available in California, Florida, Arizona and Dallas.