Carepool, Jumpstarting Twin Cities Ride Services This Week

Carepool Has Jumpstarted Rides This Week In The Twin Cities

DENVER, COLORADO, UNITED STATES, April 11, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — We’re only three weeks away from Uber and Lyft potentially leaving the Twin Cities. The Minneapolis rideshare wage ordinance, raising drivers’ wages to a minimum of $15.57 per hour goes into effect on May 1. However, that date is up in the air as City Council members plan to file a motion on April 11 to delay the ordinance by two months to July 1.

While the city plans to use this extra time to support any new rideshare companies planning to start serving the Twin Cities, Carepool has already moved full speed ahead this week. On Monday, April 8, the company revved up important rides for the area’s aging and disabled residents seeking long-term support for their mobility needs.

Lyft, a popular choice for seniors and the disabled, is saying it will still serve the airport but will not pick up or drop off passengers at any Minneapolis locations. Carepool is already providing a very viable, new ride-option source for the Twin Cities’ aging and disabled residents, even if Uber and Lyft decided to discontinue their services in the area.

Carepool, founded in 2018 by CEO Josh Massey, has recently purchased the Twin Cities-based, https://mobility4all.com/ accessible ride service. Carepool and Mobility4All have the same door-thru-door product for people with disabilities and aging adults, now with rideshare technology. Carepool is servicing customers with no lapse in services.

The company has created its rideshare technology to comply with the State of Wisconsin’s health and human services departments. It is built around the disability and aging adult waivers. Their model also solved rural and wheelchair transportation gaps.

“As I spoke with someone from the State of Wisconsin about having a rideshare service in this space, I thought adding an “e” to the word “carpool” seemed to fit well for the company’s name,” Massey said. “At Carepool, we truly care!”

The company’s software platform is built to schedule rides ahead and on-demand. It is also designed to sync directly to drivers’ calendars and through the drivers’ App. Rides may be billed to Medicaid/Medicare programs, insurance payers, and hospital systems. Passengers’ special needs are saved to their profiles so drivers will know how to handle each customer’s unique situation.

So far, the company has onboarded more than 50 drivers onto its driver Apps, and more drivers are on the way. The company’s drivers have a more stringent vetting process than traditional rideshare drivers. Their insurance also covers the ability to help others into their homes or medical facilities while getting into the vehicle, offering “door-through-door service.” Carepool pay rates provide drivers with more earning power, which includes a $10 minimum and $1.40/mile in Minneapolis.

“Carepool’s ride model appeals to me, and I’m excited to start my new journey,” said Noah Asegedom, a company driver. It’s a good opportunity for me,” he said. More importantly, it’s really fulfilling work. I’m happy to be part of the team, sharing the mission and goal to really help those in need.”

By driving the area’s seniors and disabled residents to their destinations, Carepool’s drivers are filling a vital need for riders to participate in adult programs that are vital for their daily activities.

“I enjoy the rides and we really need to keep them here,” said Larry Underhill, a rider who lives in Bloomington, Minnesota. “I like that the quick rides and services get me from my home to where I need to
go,” he said.

“We rely on these rides, which are very important in getting our participants to and from their programs,” said Heather Liesenfeld, director of adult programs at the Martin Luther Campus in Bloomington. “Families also rely on these rides because many family members are working,” she said.

Riders can add notes regarding any need for additional assistance. The app includes service levels so riders can order wheelchair rides and request specific drivers, providing a consistent driver-to-rider relationship. This key element as Carepool starts to build strong one-to-one relationships between drivers and riders and support mobility for the aging and disabled.

“We need consistency, reliability, and dependability, and our participants need to know their driver so they can feel safe,” Liesenfeld said.

“Keeping the same drivers is really helpful, especially for riders who have special needs and live with a disability. My brother-in-law has downs and autism; going to work independently is a very proud thing for him, Carepool provides him with a more consistent experience with drivers. If we’re lucky enough to grow old, we all live with a disability: sight, hearing, mobility, or memory,” Massey said.

The United States Department of Transportation has revealed that 25.5 million Americans have travel-limiting disabilities. Older adults are one of the fastest-growing population groups in the nation, expected to reach 80 million by 2040 and outnumbering the country’s youth population.

As Minneapolis grapples with the rideshare ordinance, Carepool is moving full speed ahead this week as one of the country’s only door-through-door ride services built to help seniors and people with disabilities better navigate the independent roads of mobility ahead.

“It’s a very exciting time to come in and provide services at this time of uncertainty,” Massey said. “Those with disabilities might be concerned about having a gap in services. I want to let them know there won’t be. We can meet their needs right away!”

Media Contact: For additional information, please visit https://www.carepool.us or contact:

Darryl Sellers, Director of Public Relations for Carepool,
612-834-2793, [email protected]

Carepool, founded in Madison, Wisconsin in 2018 by CEO Josh Massey, makes transportation accessible to everyone. Our Rideshare+ model provides convenient, reliable, and fully accessible transportation for Aging adults and people with disabilities.

Darryl Wayne Sellers
Carepool
+1 612-834-2793
[email protected]
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Testimonial, Laura shares why she’s happy with Carepool’s ride services.