Lyft’s feature to match drivers with riders along the same route is now available to all

Lyft drivers now have a new feature at their disposal, as the company is rolling out its “destination mode” to all rides. This capability matches drivers with riders according to the route drivers are heading, based on the most recent ride they gave. Launched last year, it was only available for those using Lyft Line, but now it’s available regardless what type of offering drivers provide.

With destination mode, drivers specify the destination they’re heading to. From there, Lyft’s algorithm will provide requests that are heading in that same direction, likely making trips more efficient and reducing the amount of time between rides. The company said that drivers will be paired with riders wanting either Line or regular Lyft rides. To disable this new mode, simply tap the “X” next to a destination’s address.

Lyft says that destination mode will count toward acceptance rate, but will not affect the average hourly guarantee or power driver bonus.

“Since enacting this with Lyft Line, we’ve found we can reduce passenger ETAs and increase driver utilization with our existing supply,” a company spokesperson told VentureBeat in a statement.

While it may not seem that impressive to riders, drivers may be interested, especially as Lyft wants to further entice them to remain active participants in its service. By providing reliable matches frequently so the money keeps flowing, Lyft may encourage drivers to stay, rather than switching to competitor Uber.

This latest release comes weeks after the company rolled out its upfront price estimation tool for all rides and a way to pre-match drivers with riders based on the destination of the current ride.