Maybe you've been drinking and don't want to drive, but don't want to leave your car behind either.
A new app-based chauffeur and designated driver service is operating in Grey Bruce where someone will drive you and your car home.
Adam McKeachnie, owner of the new Owen Sound franchise explains Driverseat sends two people in one of their vehicles, one drives you home in your car and the Driverseat vehicle follows to bring the other driver back.
The same way you would request a ride using Uber or Lyft, (which are not yet operating in Owen Sound) with Driverseat, you would use the app to request a ride and get a price estimate, or you can make a phone call.
The cars are identifiable by a bullseye Driverseat logo and the chauffeurs are in uniform.
“In our rural community, everybody has a vehicle” says McKeachnie who adds “The feedback we've gotten from people who have used the service just love the fact that their vehicle is at home the next day. There's no coming back and getting their car.”
McKeachnie says they also provide a chauffeur service to the airport, “The nice thing about the pick up, is on the last day of your vacation, maybe you want to have a few drinks and not worry about the drive home. You're coming out of the airport and directly into your nice warm vehicle and being driven home. It kind of extends your vacation right to your front door.”
He says your chauffeur also loads your luggage.
McKeachnie says from Owen Sound to Pearson Airport in Toronto it's roughly $99 each way and saves you from paying to park your car there.
They also do what McKeachnie calls medically assisted transport, “People who go in for surgery, who are not allowed to drive themselves home or don't have a family member or somebody else to do it.”
In the future he's looking at vehicle chauffeuring where, a person would pick your car up for you, take it to a mechanic and then bring it back to you when it's fixed.
There are about seven drivers now and McKeachnie is looking to hire more.
Owen Sound Police, who licence Taxis, recently discussed the new business at a police board meeting, noting area taxi services wanted to know why the licencing is different for this new company. Chief Craig Ambrose explains,”It's not covered under the taxi bylaw because you're not actually using their vehicle. It's a service that's being provided so you require a business licence.”
Driverseat originated in Barrie and is now in 400 communities in Canada. Its head office is in Kitchener.
