Why Lyft might look a little different in Denver soon

DENVER (KDVR) – If you use the ride-share app Lyft in the Denver metro area, you may notice a small change starting Thursday.

This is because Denver is one of nine cities being used to test Lyft’s rider verification pilot program , which the company said will help protect drivers and riders.

The other cities that will be part of the pilot program include Miami, Seattle, Houston and Atlanta.

What is this new program?

According to Lyft, the rider verification program will encourage riders to verify their identity so that a driver can confirm that the person they’re taking “is who they say they are.”

Lyft said drivers have always had to verify their identity before they can use the app, and this is just adding that for riders.

It will not be mandatory to join during the pilot program, according to Lyft’s website.

The new process cross-checks a rider’s personal information such as legal name and phone number using third-party databases. Lyft said this will happen automatically for most, but if your identity cannot be verified, you will have to upload an ID to get verified.

A badge will show up on your profile showing that you are verified when you request a ride, and Lyft said drivers may be more willing to accept rides for verified users.

The company said this could result in longer ETA and pickup times for non-verified users.

The program was built in partnership with several organizations, including the Polaris Project, a nonprofit aimed at preventing sex and labor trafficking in the US.

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