Uber, Lyft Secure $810M Federal Transportation Contract

Ride-hailing companies Uber Technologies Inc UBER and LYFT Inc LYFT have bagged a federal contract, worth up to $810 million, from the U.S. General Services Administration.

What Happened: According to a Reuters report, both Uber and Lyft will collectively cater to over 4 million federal agency employees directly across the country as part of the contract.

Lyft Vice President of Social Enterprise and Government Veronica Juarez confirmed to Reuters that the government agency awarded the five-year contract on Monday.

Although Juarez did not clarify the forecasted-bump in Lyft’s revenues from the contract, the executive claimed that the government bears around $200 million annually for ground transportation. Lyft expects to see further opportunities in public health and equity projects that require transportation.

“The expansion of our customer base to include government is a natural next step for us, and we’re proud to help federal agencies tackle some of the biggest administrative challenges they face,” Uber for Business’ Global head Ronnie Gurion told Reuters.

Why Does It Matter: The federal body, in April, disclosed that Uber and Lyft were front runners for the contract to provide transportation for agency employees and contractors.

The notification clarified that some of the services would include an on-demand passenger booking system that accepts multiple modes of payment as well as a consolidated billing dedicated for agency customers.

Price Action: On Monday, UBER gained 3.32% to close at $50.04, whereas LYFT closed 3.28% higher at $39.35.

See Also: Uber, Lyft Are Exempt From Classifying Drivers As Employees After Proposition 22 Ballot Victory