NBC10 is one of dozens of news organizations producing BROKE in Philly, a collaborative reporting project on solutions to poverty and the city’s push toward economic justice. Follow us at @BrokeInPhilly.
People who have difficulty accessing a coronavirus vaccination site will soon be able to get a free ride to get inoculated, thanks to a partnership between Philadelphia’s Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium and Uber.
Thanks to a $250,000 donation from Uber, eligible Philadelphia residents will be able to get free rides to and from vaccination sites run by the Black Doctors Consortium, both groups announced in a joint press release. The goal is to provide up to 10,000 free rides.
“We have found that access to transportation is not just a barrier to receiving the coronavirus vaccine, but in receiving quality healthcare. We are thankful for Uber for providing free rides to help us in stopping the spread and morbidity associated with COVID-19,” Kamau Stanford, COO of the BDCC, said in a statement.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
Philadelphia residents 18 and older can use the promo code 10MVBDC to get $25 off their ride to or from a BDCC vaccination location, with each user getting up to four free rides (i.e. two round-trip rides).
“This partnership is a milestone in our larger commitment to provide ten million free or discounted rides to those in need, and we’re humbled to lend our support,” Uber policy manager Harry Hartfield said in a statement.
Upcoming vaccination clinics will be held at Temple University’s Liacouras Center at 1776 N. Broad Street on April 26, 27 and 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The BDCC will also host a “Vax-Jawn” clinic Saturday, April 24, at the Dell Music Center in Strawberry Mansion; vaccines will be available to anyone 18 or older on a first come, first served basis.
You can also find your nearest BDCC vaccination clinic here.