Need a lift?

A San Francisco mobile phone application company, which launched its ride-sharing service Thursday in Honolulu, hopes so.

Lyft is a company whose "peer-to-peer ride-sharing" model allows local drivers to share seats in their cars and connect with passengers needing a ride via smartphone. Rides cost 20 percent to 30 percent less than a cab and are paid for entirely by donation, the company said.

The concept "fits right in with the gracious, welcoming culture of aloha" in Hawaii, said Lyft spokeswoman Katie Dally. The service will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

"Many locals rely on their own cars to get around, and many visitors rent cars when they arrive in Honolulu. By taking some cars off the road, it might help to alleviate some of the traffic snarls and excessive parking costs that people in Honolulu have traditionally faced," Dally said.

The company will serve the entire island and has partnered with Hawaiian Airlines to market the service.

Both drivers and riders must have a Facebook account and a registered credit or debit card to verify identity. Riders can pay only via card charged through their accounts; no cash exchanges hands. The company does criminal and motor vehicle background checks on drivers and first pairs them with a local mentor who rides with them and goes through a 19-point safety inspection, later rating them to determine whether they are a good fit for the Lyft program.

"With the economy the way it is, especially in Honolulu with the high prices and cost of living, there are a lot of local people that are looking to supplement their income," said Waianae resident Sophina Placencia, 32, one of Lyft’s "founding drivers."

"Considering we have the worst traffic in the nation, it’s a perfect opportunity to generate some extra cash."

Placencia learned about the company on Facebook and said she spends most of her time on the road because her full-time job at a software development company requires her to attend meetings frequently. She is also a competitive pool player and often gives her teammates a ride.

"Between meetings and going home, if I’m stuck in traffic it’s always really cool to have somebody sit in traffic with you to keep you company or ride in the car-pool lane," she said.

"That’s what I already do anyway for work or pool, carrying friends from point A to point B, and it just made sense."

The company, whose motto is "your friend with a car," bases pay for drivers, who are considered independent contractors, on a donation model, "much in the same way you might help a friend with a couple dollars to defer the cost of gas at the end of a ride," Dally said. "We don’t require drivers to drive set hours; it’s whenever they have time. We have set our prices a little bit lower."

At the end of each ride, a suggested donation appears on the company’s computer app, which also lets passengers rate their driver and leave immediate feedback. The passenger can increase or decrease the donation based on good or poor ride experiences.

Honolulu is Lyft’s 63rd market. The company also operates in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, San Diego, Boston and Washington, D.C.

Lyft wouldn’t disclose how many local drivers it has lined up. Drivers are easily recognized by the furry pink mustaches on the front of their cars.

Not everyone is happy about the new service.

Dale Evans, president of Charley’s Taxi, said customers should be aware of companies that use private cars and personal vehicles to do the service of transportation companies.

"All companies that do transportation in Hawaii, whether ground, air or maritime, they’re all regulated and licensed by the state. These people do not have licenses," she said. "They’re not transportation companies; they’re computer app companies. There’s no accountability because they’re not regulated … so they’re operating outside of the motor vehicle laws."

Evans added that "If you use your private car and pick up somebody for a fare, private insurance is not going to cover the passengers."

"There have been lawsuits all around world by people who get into these things and get into accidents or killed," she said. "I’m not against competition, but Ithink competition should protect the public and also be fair. Customers want to know they’re going with safe and reliable companies. This is just an app company. To me these giant tech companies, they feel like they own the world."

Lyft said it has a $1 million commercial liability policy that covers all drivers and passengers while they’re using the service and has strict exclusions on background checks.

Suggested Honolulu donations:

>> Pickup: $2.16

>> Per mile: $2.56

>> Per minute: $0.37

>> Minimum: $6