Richmond paratransit company Uzurv is set to become fully integrated with the fourth-largest public bus network in the country this month.
In August, Uzurv signed a contract with Pace, the public bus system in Chicago and surrounding counties. Under the terms of the contract, Pace can dispatch a Uzurv vehicle, a taxi or a Pace van to provide paratransit services. The goal is to increase the region’s paratransit capacity.
Uzurv provides gig-based ride-sharing like Uber but for people with a disability or the elderly. It works with more than 20 public transportation companies and provides alternative transportation for people who cannot utilize buses or trains. Paratransit is often considered a “safety net” for those with disabilities and is required under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Chief Technology Officer Phil Bayer said the company built its platform from the ground up. The goal was to create a unified rider experience and improve paratransit services. Besides public transportation systems, the company also provides transportation for senior centers and elder care organizations. A representative for Uzurv declined to give precise revenue numbers, but said it more than doubled in 2022 over the previous year. Its headcount also increased more than 50%.
“The goal is to roll service out across the country,” Bayer said. “We want to be in large and mid-sized markets and eventually smaller, rural markets.”
Part of that process is integrating with existing dispatch systems. Last year, Uzurv completed a partnership with Trapeze Group, which provides dispatching for some of the largest public transportation organizations in the country, including Pace. Bayer said the integration was initially set to be completed in late 2019, but the pandemic put the process on hold.
Uzurv and Trapeze have been working to integrate Uzurv’s platform with Pace’s dispatching system. Initial tests have been successful, but Uzurv is waiting for Trapeze to complete the final tests and “turn the lights on,” Bayer said. When that happens, Uzurv’s platform will be integrated into the system that Pace workers use to dispatch Uzurv drivers and the app riders use to track a driver’s progress.
Bayer said the integration is important part of Uzurv’s mission. It is also integrated with Spare Labs and Ecolane, two other transit dispatch systems.
Mobility is challenging for people with disabilities and the elderly, and many rely on public transit. Uzurv’s goal is to create a better customer experience and help the paratransit community.
“As an organization, we have been hyperfocused on rider experience and driver experience from day one,” Bayer said. “I think that is one of the differentiators. We are keenly aware that we want to give the riders the best experience possible.”
With the integration, dispatchers can track the progress of the driver and the status of the ride with Trapeze. They can dispatch another driver or update the rider about problems.
“We will provide real-time transparency and visibility into where their ride is, when it’s going to arrive and will they make their appointment,” Bayer said. “That is what is required to allow these folks with disabilities to really live their lives with dignity.”
Uzurv has been working with public transportation systems since 2017 when it partnered with GRTC, the public transportation system in Richmond. The company began providing paratransit services within the city, and 98% of all paratransit rides were on time.
“GRTC came into our office about a year after they started like 2018 and one of their senior directors said after we started the Uzurv program, the lines stopped ringing.” Bayer said. “I asked, ‘What does that mean?’ The complaints dropped. The riders were so thrilled with the service, because of the on-time performance and the reliability.”