Imperial Valley Transit Ride opening to the public with new app
Adrik Vargas
IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – A major upgrade is coming to Imperial County’s public ride service. Imperial Valley Transit Ride, also known as IVT Ride, will soon expand to the general public and launch a mobile app for same-day bookings.
The service was previously only available to seniors and people with disabilities. ICTC says those riders will still have priority access.
“They’re not gonna be competing with the general public, as to who gets the ride first or who doesn’t, giving them the opportunity to make the reservation ahead of time gives them an advantage,” said Gustavo Gomez, senior transportation planner at ICTC.
The updated service, called IVT Ride Now, is set to launch in September. It will begin with a free week of rides to help people try it out.
“It’s very easy to use. If you use Uber or Lyft, it’s the same thing. You just put in the address and it’ll pick you up where you are at and take you where you need to go,” Gomez said.
The fare will be $2 for the general public and $1 for seniors and people with disabilities. That price is one of the reasons some locals say they would consider using it.
“Here in California, our gas prices are a little bit higher than other states in the US and second, because of the weather, I think people will definitely value that we have AC on busses,” said Manuel Santiano, a local.
For those who are not familiar with technology, Gomez said support will be available.
“We do plan on doing workshops for people who may not be the best at technology, show them how the app works, how to make a reservation,” he said.
ICTC says the app will be available for download in late August.