By Bonnie Adams, Managing Editor
photo/submitted
Westborough – Westborough residents will be able to use a new ride share program, Via, for free, through the month of December.
Launched in September as a pilot program, Via is similar to other ride share companies, but uses their own branded and wrapped fleet of vehicles. Riders simply contact the company via an app or by calling 508-388-6620. A driver will pick them up to take them to any destination within a 20- mile span in the greater Westborough region. (The coverage area was recently expanded to 20 miles from the original 12-mile span.)
Olivia Larsson, a manager with Via, said the company is offering the free rides through December. After that the cost will be $2 per ride, and all rides either to or from the MBTA stations in Southborough and Westborough will cost just $1. Service operates Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The program is slated to run through May 2021 and will be evaluated after that.
The Massachusetts Department of Transit awarded $460,000 in funding to the Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) to launch the program in Westborough as a pilot program.
According to Monica Ceragioli, a vice president with VIA, all drivers are thoroughly vetted and all COVID-19 safety protocols are followed. That includes cleaning between riders and plexiglass installed between the front and back seats. Masks are required to ride, capacity is capped at just three passengers per vehicle, and riders are prompted to use hand sanitizer before touching door handles or to stay home if they’re not feeling well. Via has traditional vans as well as ADA accessible vans.
For more information visit www.town.westborough.ma.us/home/news/van-service-overview.
