Program Uses Uber To Transport Fulton Seniors

SANDY SPRINGS, GA -- The Fulton County Commission has approved a pilot program that will use Uber as an option for transporting seniors to Fulton County Senior Multipurpose facilities.

Commissioners unanimously passed the resolution sponsored by District 2 Commissioner Bob Ellis during the board's June 15 meeting. Commissioners authorized the Department of Aging and Youth Services to spend a maximum of $10,000 to conduct the pilot program.

The trial program follows a three-month mini-pilot initiated by the Friends of Benson, Inc. in collaboration with Uber to transport seniors to the Dorothy C. Benson Senior Multipurpose Facility. The experiment provided initial data indicating Uber could offer an efficient transportation option for senior multipurpose facility participants.

• Sign up for the Sandy Springs Patch newsletter!

Commissioners based their unanimous vote in favor of the pilot program on the 2012 State of Seniors Survey, which reported that senior services providers rated transportation as the number one need of seniors. The Survey conducted by the A. L. Burress Institute of Public Service and Research also indicated that 15 percent of respondents over the age of 54 stated that they were in need of transportation services.

The Dorothy C. Benson Senior Multipurpose Facility Uber Pilot Program determined that Uber is the only transportation network company that provides a computer application to order multiple rides. The function was a critical factor that contributed to the success of the pilot coordinated through the Friends of Benson.

The Aging and Youth Services Department proposed expansion of the Pilot Program to include all four Senior Multipurpose Facilities. The test at all four facilities will determine the cost and operational efficiency of Uber as a transportation service option.

For more information, contact Ken Vanhoose at 404-613-7944.

---

Logo via Uber