Ontario town of 36,000 partners with Uber to create substitute for public transit

Innisfil, Ont., will become the first town in Canada to partner with the controversial ride-hailing service Uber to provide on-demand transit service. The roughly 36,000-population Ontario town, just south of Barrie on the western shore of Lake Simcoe, is officially launching the service at 10 a.m. to help address community concerns about a lack of transit. "To me, it's a savings, and everybody in the community can use it," he said. "If we went with buses, only a certain amount of people can use it.""To me, it's a savings, and everybody in the community can use it," he said. "If we went with buses, only a certain amount of people can use it." Buying two buses for the town, hiring drivers, and putting bus stops in would cost roughly $1 million, Wauchope told CBC/Radio-Canada on Sunday.In contrast, around $175,000 has been put aside for the six-month pilot project, which also includes using local taxi companies for accessible rides.Wauchope said the decision to use Uber came amid pressure from students, seniors and one-car families. It also followed a June 2016 town staff report to council that suggested looking into an on-demand transit option.  So how, exactly, will the partnership work?According to the town, Innisfil residents will be able to book trips anytime, anywhere. Certain key destinations — such as the Barrie South GO train station and Innisfil Recreational Complex and Town Hall area — will have set rates of $3 to $5.Riders can also pick any destination of their choice, and will save $5 off their fare.