Innisfil, Ont., estimates it saves $8M yearly using Uber as alternative to public transit

Innisfil, Ont., estimates an experimental transit partnership with Uber is saving the town more than $8 million a year compared to using an equivalent door-to-door bus service.

• Innisfil, Ont., partners with Uber to create substitute for public transit

Innisfilturned to the ride-hailing company last year as an alternative to a traditional public transit system.

"This worked for us, and we're thrilled," Deputy MayorLynn Dollintold guest host David Common on CBC's Metro Morning onThursday.

"If wewere to try to offer the servicethat we offer now so 24 hours a day, to any resident in the municipality it would cost $8 million,so there's absolutely no way we could have done that."

The town and company say 3,400 users have completed more than 26,700 trips in the first eight months of the program.

Innisfil subsidizes the cost of rides for its residents with Uber Canada, offering flat rates to certain public hubs and a discount for travel anywhere else within the community.

The town says it has signed a deal with Uber to expand their partnership by adding two new flat fare destinations.

Rides to the Innisfil ideaLAB and Library as well as the South Innisfil Community Centre will be $3.

Dollinsaid the town is able to collect data from the rides residents take in order to "look at the evolution of this transit system as we go."