Seniors need transportation to and from places perhaps more than most younger adults however, so few of them actually utilize rideshare apps such as Uber and Lyft. When asked why, many seniors admitted to being intimidated by the apps technology and stated that they were unlikely to utilize their services. Uber recognized this missed opportunity to provide these older individuals with great transportation methods and independence, as a result they developed programs to specifically enhance the senior riding experience. These efforts will allow seniors to utilize Uber’s rideshare option without having to even own a smart phone or the Uber app. They are doing so by encouraging senior centers to utilize Uber central, as well as adding a feature that allows you to request a ride for an elderly loved one.
Uber Central allows organizations to request rides on their customer’s or client’s behalf, eliminating the need for clients to have a smart phone or Uber app. Senior centers could utilize this technology to help make this resource available to seniors in need of a ride from place to place. This would eliminate the stress associated with using the technology, downloading the app, entering payment info, address, and destination. Seniors would likely feel more comfortable allowing a senior center to arrange their rides, similar to letting a loved one arrange and provide them with a ride. Currently, many seniors rely on their loved ones for transportation however, between work and personal life their are often times when the loved one is unable to provide transportation. Uber’s solution to this allows users to now request a ride for a loved via their own mobile phone and account.
The way this works is, if you were wanting to request a ride for your elderly parent or grandparent you could go into the app right from your phone and account and select request ride for family member or friend. You would then enter your loved one’s address and contact info straight from your contact list and your loved one would then receive a text with the details of their ride and ability to contact the driver directly. This feature allows you to request, monitor, and pay for you loved one’s ride straight from your own mobile device. No doubt, Uber is dedicated to improving the senior riding experience for all.
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