April 8, 2020 — Chicago, Il
Transdev/IntelliRide and Mayor of Detroit partner to offer transport to COVID-19 testing sites
Transdev North America recently announced their Detroit IntelliRide operations started offering safe, affordable transportation to Detroit residents who require COVID-19 testing.
Transdev North America recently announced their Detroit IntelliRide operations started offering safe, affordable transportation to Detroit residents who require COVID-19 testing.
The City of Detroit opened a regional testing site to ensure anyone could get a COVID-19 test. In working with the Mayor’s Office, IntelliRide launched the “Get a Ride, Get a Test” program. Through the program, IntelliRide provides transportation to any Detroit resident who has COVID-19 symptoms and has received a prescription for a test from their doctor.
The transportation service takes residents in need of transportation from their homes, to the State Fairgrounds where the testing occurs, and then back to their homes. Appointments for the ride service are $2.00 and free for those with disabilities and are coordinated at the same time as testing appointments are made.
As part of this service, all drivers are observing the CDC’s hygiene and social distancing recommendations to ensure they stay safe, as well as the customers they are transporting. With the City’s assistance, personal protective equipment (PPE) is being distributed to drivers and passengers and the vehicles are being fully sanitized following the completion of each trip.
IntelliRide LLC, a wholly owned of subsidiary Transdev, is helping communities across the country during this time of need. “To be able to bring Detroit residents, who don’t have access to transportation, to testing sites is a wonderful opportunity for us to provide support to our community and show we care,” stated Jamie Chambers, vice president of operations for IntelliRide/Transdev. “Whether it’s delivering food to seniors, driving people to their medical appointments or driving residents to get their COVID-19 tests, like we are doing in Detroit, we want to do our part to help across the country – however we can,” added Chambers.
“The IntelliRide team really stepped up to meet our need of getting a service up and running in less than a week. This is a critical component to the Mayor’s commitment to make sure any Detroit resident can get a test,” said Mark de la Vergne, Chief of Mobility Innovation for the Mayor’s Office.
