To provide discounted rides for underserved residents of South and North Monterey County, including seniors, veterans and people with disabilities, Monterey-Salinas Transit has partnered with the ride share company Uber to create the Uber Voucher Pilot Program.
"This partnership helps expand transportation options for residents in communities where mobility can be a challenge," said MST CEO Carl Sedoryk in a statement. "By combining public transit funding with innovative technology, we can provide a flexible transportation solution that helps people get where they need to go, when they need to go."
The program will serve the communities of Chualar, Gonzales, Soledad, Greenfield, King City, Pajaro, Prunedale, and Castroville, which do not have access to taxi service. After eligible residents enroll through MST, they will receive monthly ride credits that are loaded directly into their Uber accounts. Once loaded, participants can use the credits for any purpose with no restrictions. Unused credits are non-transferable and will expire each month.
Under the program, funded by Measure Q and Uber, which is contributing $50,000, participants contribute $3 per trip with up to 10 vouchers a month, while MST provides a $14 credit for each voucher through the Uber platform.
Those interested in the program can learn more by contacting MST at 1-888-MST-BUS1 or emailing UberVoucher@mst.org.