New Via and Uber partnership can help agencies serve more riders more cost-effectively

We’re excited to announce Via’s partnership with Uber that will let our customers supplement their Via-powered paratransit and microtransit services by seamlessly dispatching trips to drivers on the Uber platform. This industry-leading partnership reflects our commitment to helping cities and agencies harness innovative technology to help public transit continue to thrive.

What this means for you: more rides, more efficiently

Via customers can now complement their highly efficient dedicated fleets with additional vehicles and drivers from the Uber network, exactly when they’re needed — all using Via’s technology to dispatch each ride to the right vehicle at the right time.

Whether your agency is stretched thin trying to fulfill paratransit rides, could use some additional microtransit capacity during peak hours, or has been searching for an efficient way to serve off-hours or remote destinations, this solution is game-changing. Incorporating the Uber network allows agencies to:

• Build more resilient networks and serve more riders by tapping into Uber’s robust and growing base of drivers.
• Improve fleet efficiency & reduce cost per trip by automatically dispatching the right vehicle for every ride, every time (no need to send a 15-pax cutaway to pick up 1 ambulatory rider from your neighboring county).
• Save time with seamless workflows that reduce manual dispatching and coordination between your team and your non-dedicated service providers.

Our Approach

In any service where we’ll be using non-dedicated service providers, our goal is to serve as many riders as cost effectively as possible by both maximizing the use of your existing fleet and operator resources, and incorporating non-dedicated service providers, like Uber, to provide additional capacity and flexibility as needed.

We optimize operations of our partners’ dedicated fleets with strategic service design and ViaAlgo — our purpose-built routing and dispatching algorithm that is repeatedly shown to deliver the lowest cost per ride compared to other providers. Similarly, through this integration with Uber, ViaAlgo will intelligently dispatch select trips to Uber, allowing them to be served by drivers on the Uber platform.

And the best part? Our solution lets you do this with:

• Ease: Your team will send trips to Uber right from the Via Operations Center - no need to change how they currently work.
• Turnkey Compliance: We’ll help you understand and fulfill any relevant regulatory requirements, so you don’t lose any sleep at night.
• Visibility: You’ll have visibility into live trips, and data from completed trips will be available as always.
• Familiar Rider Experience: Riders get the same notifications and vehicle tracking abilities they’re used to.

Want to learn more?

This partnership is one more tool to help you better serve your riders. Click the button below, or reach out to your Partner Success Manager to see how using flexible overflow from Uber can give your service a boost.

Talk to our team