Individuals can download up to 10 vouchers from the city’s website. These vouchers will pop up in the Uber app and allow riders to receive transportation to anywhere in the city. The rider will pay $4 upfront, with up to $10 of the remainder of the ride covered by the voucher.
The Pfetch a Ride program was established following a successful 18-month Pickup Pilot project with CapMetro. While the Pickup Pilot project was successful, the program had limited operating hours during the week and was limited in the routes in the community. The Pfetch a Ride Program was an opportunity to expand transportation services to anyone in the community on demand with coverage to all of the city limits, Circle of Hope at Three Points and the Tech Ridge Park and Ride.
“The Pfetch a Ride program allowed us to expand [our services] to seven days a week, 24 hours a day and really allow for additional independence for our seniors,” said Assistant Director of Communications Roger Heaney.
Offering rides 24/7 gives seniors in Pflugerville greater flexibility and freedom with their schedules.
“We've heard from our seniors that they really appreciate being able to go to the movies whenever they want or get a haircut, especially those who aren't driving anymore,” Heaney said.
In addition to benefiting seniors who are unable to drive, this program gives individuals safe rides home from bars, and helps visitors who are unfamiliar with the area or those without access to transportation.
“I know of several [individuals] who used it for a car repair, and they’ve dropped their car off and then they fetch a ride to work so they’re not losing that time while they're taking care of their daily needs,” Heaney said. “I think there's been a lot of value in a lot of ways for our residents and businesses.”
Pflugerville residents who use wheelchairs are able to benefit from the program as well because of Maruti Transportation Group’s partnership with Uber. Wheelchair accessible vehicles, which are fully compliant with ADA requirements, are available through the Pfetch a Ride program 24/7.
“We actually had residents who use the Maruti part of the program who came to a city council meeting and thanked the council,” Heaney said. “I thought that was pretty incredible. It's not very often that residents take the time to thank the city for a job well done. They talked about how [Pfetch a Ride] changed their life. They are now able to be more mobile than they ever have been before.”
Heaney said the launch of the program has been smooth. Individuals have been able to easily download the vouchers and the app is user friendly. If riders do run into any issues, there are resources on the city’s website for troubleshooting.
“On our website, we have a question section where [residents] can contact Uber or give us feedback,” Heaney said.
For riders wanting to travel outside the city limits, the Pfetch a Ride program connects to Tech Ridge Park & Ride. This allows riders to connect to the Cap Metro system and travel in the greater Austin area.
“[Ridership] keeps increasing every month,” Heaney said. “It’s just very convenient.” To download Pfetch a Ride vouchers, visit the City of Pflugerville’s website.
The above story was produced by Multi-platform Journalist Mary Katherine Shapiro with Community Impact's Storytelling team with information solely provided by the local business as part of their "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team.
