Toronto announces program to transport seniors, vulnerable residents to vaccine appointments

Toronto has announced a plan to help seniors and vulnerable residents get easier access to COVID-19 vaccines

The Vaccine Equity Transportation Plan aims to provide transportation to appointments to those who have limited options or otherwise cannot afford transit or ride-share by extending service hours for assisted ride services.

“As we’ve said from the beginning, we want everyone who wants a vaccine to be able to get one,” said Mayor John Tory.  “We are doing everything we can as a city government to get as many people vaccinated as supply allows.”

The program will begin on March 29 for seniors aged 75 and older and rides can be booked through the City of Toronto website.

RELATED: Ontario expands Phase 2 vaccine eligibility list

The city has already begun working with multiple partners to help transports residents. The partners include:

• Toronto Ride – book ride here
• iRide – book ride here
• Scarborough Ride – book ride here
• Ontario Health Partners
• Uber Canada
• The TTC

The city is providing funding to Toronto Ride, iRide and Scarborough Ride to provide assisted transportation to eligible Toronto seniors, adults with disabilities and adults who are immune-compromised, to and from vaccination appointments within the city of Toronto.

Uber Canada has confirmed a donation of $150,000 in the form of voucher codes for individual rides. Starting April 6, these vouchers will be distributed to a partner community organizations and will be available to vulnerable and high-risk residents.

Also starting in April, the TTC is working with the City to distribute 15,000 TTC ride vouchers through a network of partner agencies across the city to provide people who cannot afford transit fare, with no-cost rides to and from vaccination sites.

“The TTC is an integral support for people across Toronto and a key transportation mode for accessing supports and programs,” said Councillor Jaye Robinson. “Additional transportation vouchers and shuttle services will help to reduce barriers to reaching our clinics and accessing COVID-19 vaccinations.”

The TTC is also finalizing plans for shuttle bus service from Finch station to the mass vaccination clinic at Mitchell Field Arena starting on March 29, the same day the clinic begins operation. The shuttle buses will run every 30 minutes for an initial three-week trial period.

Under the new program these partnerships will be expanded in the coming weeks as capacity at vaccine clinics is increased to include people with disabilities and younger seniors.

“As more vaccines become available and more vaccination clinics open, it is city programs like this one that will help to remove barriers for some of our more vulnerable residents,” said Tory.

The opened its newest mass vaccination site on Wednesday in Thorncliffe Park located inside the East York Town Centre.

The city announced Tuesday that the clinic expects to administer around 1,200 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine on its first day of operations. As more supply becomes available the site will aim to vaccinate 10,000 people each day.