San Francisco, Mar 26 (IANS): Ride hailing company Lyft is providing free and discounted passes on bike sharing for workers fighting the battle against coronavirus pandemic.

The ride-hail company is inviting certain workers in New York City, Boston, and Chicago to sign up for free, one-month memberships or discounted trips.

Lyft says it's also stepping up its cleaning procedures to ensure its bikes are appropriately sanitized between trips, The Verge reported on Wednesday.

This comes at a time when public transportation ridership continues to tank in most cities and ride-sharing is not seen as a safe alternative either.

In New York, Citi Bike is offering a free 30-day memberships for people who work in health care, public transportation, or as first responders, including city employees.

Health care services providers like hospitals and clinics are being instructed to email Lyft to obtain enrollment information that they can distribute to staff, the report added.