Comment from Rashad Saadieh
Rashad SaadiehOpposeIndividual
Summary: The commenter opposes the proposed drug and alcohol testing requirements for transportation network companies because they believe it will lead to the termination of the "Ride Flex" service. They argue that losing this subsidized service would cause significant personal financial burdens, travel delays, and reduced access to essential community activities.
I oppose to terminating the Right sharing flex service in which I've been using for nine years without running into any issue with the drivers, such as Drug and alcohol issues.
If programs like Ride Flex end in Boston and across the country, we may have to once again book our trips 24 hours in advance, and at very specific times set up in advance. There may also be a large economic cost if we continue to pay for TNC Uber and Lyft rides on our own without the MBTA subsidy. We may have out of pocket costs of $3,000 to $18,000 a year if we were to have to pay for these services on our own instead of using the $3 discounted ride Flex subsidized trip model, in which most of us cannot afford. That may affect getting to the work on time and It may also take us a lot longer to get a ride in any given situation. For many, it could cause isolation and lack of ability to participate in many types of activities in the community from health care to shopping to employment to recreation.