One Innisfil resident is hoping the town can close a loophole in its partnership with Uber that they say seems to punish riders who benefit the most from its service.
Jessica Al Andary wanted to be sure council knew at the outset of her delegation during the Sept. 25 meeting that she loves Uber and the service it provides. Growing up in South Africa, she said, people did not have the good fortune of such a reliable, safe taxi service.
But Al Andary is the mother of two children under the age of 12, which would be saving her money in jurisdictions with traditional public transportation, such as Barrie or Toronto, where her family previously lived. In those cities, kids under 12 ride for free.
In Innisfil, with its on-demand public transportation system that utilizes Uber to service residents, Al Andary’s kids are often costing her even more money than they otherwise should.
“I’m not sure when the two riders per family limit started, but I really faced the problem during the summer when I would use transit almost daily to take my children to activities and sports throughout town,” she said.
Al Andary’s family has a single vehicle for its four members. Over the summer, she found herself needing to get her two children to various activities and sporting commitments, including minor baseball, which took place four nights a week.
The issues began when the Uber arrived at her location.
“Often, the driver would arrive and not be able to take us because he had two other passengers or he doesn’t want to face the risk of refusing future rides that will reflect his rating,” Al Andary said. “In this case, I would have to cancel the driver, pay for the fare, call for another Uber and pay again.”
Al Andary isn’t alone with this concern, as she’s heard from other parents in the community about the struggles the face with some of the rules surrounding the subsidized rides paid for in part by the town.
Many Uber riders in town are on a tight budget, she said, and the alternatives to paying more aren’t always viable.
Even if a subsidized ride isn’t cancelled, the regular Uber fee can be cost-prohibitive for many who live outside of Alcona, she suggested. Residents in Gilford, Lefroy or Cookstown with younger children struggle to get to YMCA or most libraries, and putting her 10-year-old in an Uber with a stranger by himself is not an option.
“I hope there’s someway you can speak to Uber about having an option for families who have children younger than 12, that we can add an extra passenger for having to pay more,” Al Andary said. “I feel like I’m being penalized for having two dependents.”
Brandon Correia, manager of planning for the town, told council the concerns Al Andary was bringing forward is on the radar and that staff was having “active discussions with Uber.”
A report will come back to council with a “variety of options” in the future, Correia said. When pressed, he was unable to specify a date as to when that might happen.
It’s the second time this year a resident has prepared a delegation to Innisfil council regarding Uber service.
In March, Raegan Montgomery voiced her concerns with how the service operates. She, too, largely lauded it, but highlighted areas for potential improvement, such as discontinuing the use of private roads and utilizing more common sense in its routing, particularly when multiple riders are taking part in one trip.
At that meeting, several Innisfil councillors admitted they either rarely or never utilize Uber. That makes delegations such as Al Andary’s important for the group to hear, suggested Coun. Alex Waters.
“We think for our town it works, but there are a few hiccups we need to iron out,” he said.
The delegation was received by council without additional direction.
