This unique coverage is a part of a pilot program that will start being sold in Pennsylvania.
Progressive has recently announced that it is launching a new Lyft driver insurance program that will be available as a part of a pilot test in Pennsylvania, and that it is exclusive to that ride sharing program.
This special form of auto insurance coverage will not extend to drivers with the much larger Uber company.
This Lyft driver insurance program is a first of its kind and was just rolled out by Progressive Corp exclusively for motorists with that ride sharing program and not with any other rivals within Pennsylvania. It has been designed to provide coverage regardless of whether or not the “meter” is running. The motorists will need to be with that specific ride sharing program within the state and will need to meet the rest of the coverage criteria for Progressive auto insurance. That coverage will then completely replace their existing policies.
This means that the Lyft driver insurance will be the only type of auto coverage these motorists will need.
According to a spokesperson from Progressive, Erin Hendrick, “It is a new policy that must be purchased and it will replace their existing personal auto coverage.” Hendrick went on to explain that “Progressive does not provide coverage for ride-sharing with its personal auto policy.”
What this new policy does is it provides Lyft drivers with the insurance coverage that they require while they are off duty; a time that is currently creating a type of coverage gap in traditional policies.
The issue of the lack of appropriate coverage through a personal auto insurance policy has been creating a great deal of struggle for ride sharing companies within the state and it has caused them to face significant approval barriers from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.
The purpose of the Lyft driver insurance policies is to provide the additional coverage that would be required to eliminate those barriers and make it possible for the ride sharing program to be able to legally operate within the state without the risk of coverage gaps.
