Overwhelming demand is pressuring Lyft, the first peer-to-peer ride sharing service, to streamline its car service.
The characteristics that made Lyft stand out when it first launched—its flamboyant pink carstache, friendly fist-bumping drivers, and having customers sit up front—are now optional, according to TechCrunch.
Customers are no longer required to sit at the front with the driver and fist pump, Lyft told customers in an email last week. "How you ride with Lyft is up to you. At the end of the day, Lyft is about helping each other get to where we want to go," the note said.
None of the quirks were mandatory, Lyft said to CNBC, but the email is emphasizing the voluntary aspect amid questions from customers.
"With an increase in new community member signups over the past few weeks, this email was a fun opportunity to answer some of the questions they may have about riding with Lyft. We want passengers to know it's their ride to enjoy and be comfortable," a Lyft spokeswoman said.
The changes will make the company's cars increasingly identical to other ride-sharing services.
New Lyft drivers are also no longer required to hang pink fuzzy mustaches on their cars. Lyft is now opting for smaller 'cuddlestaches' which may be replaced by a new emblem early next year, a source told TechCrunch.
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