Uride looking for drivers to get County pilot program underway

A ride sharing pilot program in Prince Edward County will launch this summer but there is no official start date as of yet.

Last month, council approved a one-year pilot project involving Uride in an effort to address transportation needs in the municipality.

Uride’s Regional Operations Manager Vince Scott says they are excited about the program and are working to secure enough drivers to make the project work.

While Uride operates in smaller and mid-size communities, Scott says the County is different because of its large geographical area and low population density.

“Not having a second ride, maybe a couple blocks away, but having to potentially drive to a smaller community, hopefully still nearby to pick up your next ride, is one of the areas that we’re trying to really figure out how we can make it work.”

Scott says there is really no minimum or maximum number of drivers that they are aiming for at this point.

He adds the company’s mandate has always been to reduce impaired driving and Scott says there has been plenty of interest.

“We’re having a lot of restaurants, pubs, accommodaters, reaching out saying they have clients and customers who need a reliable service to help them get home at night after, maybe having a few drinks.”

The company is also still determining what the rates will be.

Individuals interested in finding out more about how to become a Uride driver can get more information on the company’s website.