Via offers on-demand shared transit for Massachusetts seniors

Via has launched an on-demand shared transit system for people over the age of 60 in the City of Newton, Massachusetts. Via says the service replaces a taxi voucher system which required passengers to make reservations at least 72 hours in advance. The company will also offer trips to a range of medical facilities outside the city’s boundaries. Using the Via app, riders can hail a vehicle from their smartphone. The company’s algorithms allow riders to share the vehicle and directs users to a nearby pick-
June 27, 2019 Read time: 2 mins

Via has launched an on-demand shared transit system for people over the age of 60 in the City of Newton, Massachusetts.

Via says the service replaces a taxi voucher system which required passengers to make reservations at least 72 hours in advance. The company will also offer trips to a range of medical facilities outside the city’s boundaries.

Using the Via app, riders can hail a vehicle from their smartphone. The company’s algorithms allow riders to share the vehicle and directs users to a nearby pick-up and drop-off location.

Passengers can book rides Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm - and weekends from 9am to noon - with costs ranging from $0.50 to $5.00. In partnership with 6454 Avis, the fleet will comprise a range of 1685 Mercedes Metris vans which come with six seats as well as wheelchair-accessible vehicles.

Via is not the only company offering trips to medical appointments in the US. Earlier this month, 8336 Uber entered into an %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external agreement false https://www.itsinternational.com/categories/utc/news/pack-health-and-uber-offer-free-transport-for-patients-in-alabama/ false false%>with Pack Health to offer a transportation service for patients with chronic conditions in Alabama.

UTC

Related Content

  • January 16, 2015
    ITS World Congress last call for papers
    The ITS World congress takes place in Bordeaux in October 2015. Authors who wish to submit technical, scientific and commercial papers and proposals for special interest session have just three days left. The deadline is Monday 19 January at 23.59 CET and no extensions will be granted. Submit your papers and proposals here now.
    Read More
  • October 17, 2018
    Econolite to provide technology for TRC’s Ohio SMARTCenter
    Econolite will provide traffic management and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) systems for the Transportation Research Center’s (TRC) automated and connected vehicle testing facility in Ohio, US. As part of the agreement, Econolite will install the Smart Mobility Advanced Research Test Center’s (SMARTCenter) traffic control system: this will control signalised intersections, vehicle detection, facility monitoring and wireless connectivity. The company will install the V2X systems and a dedicated short-ra
    Read More
  • January 16, 2013
    EU government joins forces with industry to transform road safety
    The first V2X for Auto Safety & Mobility Conference, to be held in Frankfurt on 20-21 February, will bring together expert speakers from ITS UK, European Commission, BMW, Renault and Scania to devise a unified commercialisation and deployment strategy for vehicle and infrastructure technology to accelerate safety and mobility. Telematics Update, organisers of the conference, say that vehicle to vehicle communication will transform automotive safety, enabling deployment of effective active safety features fo
    Read More
  • September 3, 2018
    Gig economy drivers and riders at increased risk of collisions, warns UCL
    Self-employed courier or taxi drivers who get their work through apps could be more likely to be involved in a collision, says a new study. The University College London (UCL) research found 63% of ‘gig’ economy respondents – who are not paid a salary - are not provided with safety training about managing risks on the road. The emerging issues for management of occupational road risk in a changing economy: A survey of gig economy drivers, riders and their managers also revealed 65% of drivers did not
    Read More

Highlighted Content