GUELPH – A shortage of drivers, perhaps fuelled by high gas prices, is among the possible explanations for a slight decrease in use of the county’s Ride Well riding sharing service from April to May of this year.
“We’ve had some ups and downs, obviously, because of COVID and whatnot, but it’s coming back, and service (was provided) for 405 rides in May, slightly less than in April (415),” said councillor George Bridge, chair of Wellington County’s economic development committee, at the June 30 council meeting.
“One problem we’re having is getting enough drivers now to actually service the people,” said Bridge, noting the county’s service providers are actively recruiting more drivers to meet the demand.
“Some of that, of course, is gas prices,” said Bridge of the difficulty of recruiting drivers for the Uber-style app-based service.
“One week in May there were only two drivers available in comparison to the regular three to four drivers. The result was a decrease in completed rides and more failed attempts for participants trying to book a ride,” explained director of economic development Crystal Ellis in a staff report. The original focus of the program was to be on ride sharing and the report notes shared rides increased in May from April. In May, 19% (75) of total rides completed were shared rides, an increase from 16% (67) shared rides in April.
“Ridesharing has been positive since reintroduction (after being paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic), allowing customers to choose from additional timeslots even with the limited driver supply,” Ellis states.
The report points out provincial mask mandates for public transit vehicles were lifted on June 11, so masks are no longer required by Ride Well drivers or customers.
“Staff will continue to monitor COVID-19 safety precautions moving forward,” the report states.
Reviewing model
Staff have also been working with Dillon Consulting to begin reviewing the Ride Well service model, Ellis pointed out.
The existing contract with RideCo ends as of March 2023 and the consultants are set to help the county navigate contract updates, as well as determining effective functionality, performance standards, and sustainability moving forward.
“This will position the county to identify Ride Well’s role beyond the pilot phase that is set to end in March, 2025,” the report states.
