Edmonton Transit is planning to ask council for permission to explore partnerships with ride-sharing services like Uber and possibly some local taxi companies as it scales back on community bus routes.
Several cities in the United States have already proven that subsidizing Uber rides is a lot cheaper than building park-and-ride lots or running busses that are half empty. In a statement, transit strategist Sarah Feldman said:
“It’s back to the old dial-a-ride idea. We’re not sure what the business case would be or their interest so we need to start having those conversations.”
On Friday, director of public policy at Uber Canada Adam Blinick said that they are very eager to engage with the city’s transit commission to get the ball rolling. Data from Uber already shows that a lot of customers are using it to connect with public transit.
[via Edmonton Sun]
