The Town of Innisfil is partnering with Uber to pilot teen accounts to help youth aged 13-17 get where they need to go at a discounted rate.

If your teen converts to a teen account with Uber, they’ll no longer have access to the Innisfil Transit program during the pilot period. They will instead be able to take UberX trips that are similar in price to (or cheaper than) those offered through Innisfil Transit. Plus, the teen account will come with added safety features that are automatically turned on for every ride.

How teen accounts work

  1. Teens can be added to their legal guardian or parent’s Uber Family profile within the app to get started. Only teens with an approved teen account are allowed to request a trip with Uber
  2. To ensure that teens are getting into the right car with the right driver, every trip can only start when drivers enter the correct PIN that teens provide them from their app before they enter the car
  3. Parents and guardians will be able to follow the trip and get updates in their app. They can contact the teen’s driver during their trip if any unexpected events arise

Safety features

Every teen trip will have mandatory safety features automatically enabled, including PIN verification, live trip tracking, unexpected event alerts, and access to Uber’s Safety Line.

Contact with the teen's driver

Parents and legal guardians can call the driver through the Uber app. They should only contact the driver if it’s urgent to help avoid distracted driving. Uber uses phone anonymization technology designed to prevent the driver from knowing the parent or teen’s phone number. Drivers’ phone numbers will also remain anonymous and private.

Real-time notifications and RideCheck

For extra peace of mind, a parent or guardian can track their teen’s live location from start to finish. They’ll get a message when their teen requests a ride, when they get picked up, while they’re on the way, and when they get dropped off.

RideCheck will alert the teen if the ride goes off-course, stops unexpectedly, or ends early. The Uber app will message them to make sure they’re OK. Find out how RideCheck works.

PIN verification - Verify My Ride

Before a teen gets in the car, they have to give their driver a unique PIN. Drivers are unable to start a trip until they enter the correct code into the Driver app. This will help the teen make sure they get into the right car. Learn more about PIN verification.

Reporting safety incidents 

In an emergency, teens can use the in-app Emergency Button to contact 911.

After the trip, the teen can report a safety incident through the app by selecting the trip in their trip history and tapping Help, then Report Safety Issue or contacting Uber’s Safety Incident Reporting Line. 

What to expect on a teen trip

For now, teens will only be able to take trips that start and end in the Innisfil and Barrie area. Here are some other details about teen trips:

  • Teen account holders will be able to request UberX trips only
  • Every teen trip will be charged to the default payment method selected under the legal guardian or parent’s Family profile
  • Teens can only ride alone or with other teens who are at least 13 years old and have approval from their legal guardian or parent to ride with Uber
  • Every teen trip will have a no-front-seat policy—so teens will be advised to sit in the back seat and remember to buckle up

Every Innisfil Transit experience should be safe, respectful, and positive. Guardians, teens, and drivers should all follow Uber’s Community Guidelines to help everyone have a great trip.