Ride-share provider Via, along with the District of Columbia Mayor’s Office for Veterans Affairs (MOVA), and the Department of For-Hire Vehicles (DFHV), today announced the launch of VetRides, an on-demand shared ride program that provides military veterans with access to free transportation to medical, educational, employment, and other opportunities.
The launch of the VetRides program marks the first time that DFHV and MOVA have partnered with a shared ride provider. Through the VetRides program, Via’s technology will expand access to affordable and convenient transportation for veterans with the touch of a button.
The program is aimed at supporting veterans as they reengage with the community and the workforce, and transportation is a critical piece of that process. Qualifying veterans in the D.C. area will be able to book up to four rides a month either directly through the Via mobile app, or by dialing a call-center. The service will include wheelchair-accessible vehicles, and veterans can register for the service through MOVA.
“All of D.C. veterans deserve a pathway to the middle class and access to their federal benefits, and VetsRide provides that capability through transport to their medical appointments, employment opportunities, education, and housing appointments,” Elliot Tommingo, Director for the D.C. Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs, said in a statement.
Via has been tapped by cities and transportation players around the world to help reengineer public transit from a regulated system of rigid routes and schedules to a fully dynamic network. Via now has more than 90 launched and pending deployments in nearly 20 countries, providing more than 70 million rides to date. The service launched in Washington D.C. in 2016 and has expanded to include Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia, in addition to Reagan National and Washington Dulles International Airports.
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SOURCE: Via
