An example of ride sharing used as a transit system is pushing the boundaries of what a public transit system might look like and the legalities of a public-private partnership.
"Jason Reynar is passionate about rapid improvement of quality of life though local government. When traditional transit proved to be unaffordable and impractical, one disruptive town decided to subsidize ride-sharing instead. Jason Reynar lead the government team that established this public-private partnership with Uber — what they believe to be a global first."
An academic paper examines project data between 2016 and early 2020.
"Innisfil Transit subsidizes on-demand ride-hailing trips starting or ending within the town limits as an alternative to fixed-route transit. The Innisfil Transit program underwent multiple policy changes, providing an opportunity to learn about the links between program design (e.g. presence of fixed fare destinations, ride subsidies, and monthly limits) and ridership."
from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2213624X22002449
The system has recently been updated: "Changing to a distance-based pricing structure means that Innisfil Transit will no longer use "Transit Hubs." Instead, the Town will cover up to $10 of a rider’s trip as long as it’s within Innisfil’s borders. Trips between Innisfil and Barrie South or Bradford GO Stations will also enjoy this subsidy to support commuters transferring to GO Transit."
But questions still exist about safety and more vulnerable members of the population, the data that's being collected and shared, and issues around public-private partnerships and a company in the United States.
