The price of Uber and Lyft rides for senior citizens in Fulton County is going up, from $1 to $4 per one-way trip — but only for those who say they can afford it.
County commissioners voted Wednesday for the price hike, which will go into effect around the start of August.
For months county officials have mulled changes to the rideshare program due to rising costs, as more people use it more often. Use of the service is increasing by about 20% a year, county staff said.
In mid-May commissioners approved another $1.5 million for the subsidized program, making a total budget of $4.6 million for the year. But staff cautioned even that could run out by November if nothing changed.
County staff proposed raising the one-way trip price to $4, capping any rider’s monthly trips at eight, and establishing a means test for eligibility.
Commissioners resisted those ideas and told staff to poll riders. The latest, and ultimately approved, recommendation retains the $4 trip price, but only for riders whose income is above 250% of the federal poverty line. For a one-person household, that’s anything above $37,650.
Those who make less would still pay $1 per trip. The county will not demand proof of income; riders can just say whether their income was above or below the cutoff, said Ladisa Onyiliogwu, director of the county Department of Senior Services.
The approved proposal also includes the eight-trip maximum per month and a cap next year of serving 2,311 people each month.
The department surveyed 228 riders and found that many were open to paying more but reluctant to share their financial documents, Onyiliogwu said.
About one-fifth of current users would continue to pay $1 per trip, while the rest would pay $4, according to county estimates.
Another 200 people have signed up since the end of March, for a total of 6,954 — though not nearly that many actually use the service, or use it regularly, Onyiliogwu said. Still, as ridership increases steadily, the county could end up subsidizing 200,000 one-way trips by the end of the year, she said.
Commissioner Khadijah Abdur-Rahman pushed back on the proposal, seeking instead to keep the price at $1 and perhaps impose an eight-trip monthly limit.
“I have had too many seniors, too many advocates, too many people who have reached out to me when they saw this on the agenda,” she said.
Abdur-Rahman accepted an amendment from Commissioner Natalie Hall to keep the $1 price until the end of the year, and establish limits then. But their effort failed.
The price hike passed by a 5-2 vote, with only Abdur-Rahman and Commission Chair Robb Pitts voting no.
To use the service, people must be at least 60 years old, a Fulton County resident, able to use a cellphone, and capable of getting in and out of a car unaided. Common Courtesy, the county’s contractor, schedules trips through Uber or Lyft from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Riders can sign up with a one-time $15 registration fee. Each ride, up to 16 a month, costs $1. Users must have a debit or credit card on file to be billed monthly.
About 20% of Fulton County’s population is potentially eligible to use the service, Onyiliogwu said. That’s approaching 200,000 people, and seniors remain the fastest-growing segment of the population, she said. About one-third of rides are for medical appointments, while the rest are for “personal or community trips,” according to county data.
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