Uride offers free Christmas Day rides to holiday celebrations

Canadian rideshare service Uride is offering free rides, up to $25, on Christmas Day across the 27 cities it operates in.

A Canadian rideshare company is offering free transportation on Christmas Day to help people reach Holiday gatherings.

Uride, founded in Thunder Bay, Ont., is providing two promo codes, each covering a ride of up to $25, for use specifically on Dec. 25 in the app. The initiative is aimed at helping those who may struggle with the cost or availability of transportation to get to Christmas dinner.

How the program works

The offer is available through the company’s Good Deed Initiative. Individuals in need, or those wishing to nominate someone else, can email [e-mail] with the subject line “Free Christmas Rides” to receive the codes.

“We know the holidays can be tough, and no one should miss Christmas dinner because of it,” said Uride founder and CEO Cody Ruberto in an email to CTV News on Tuesday.

Ruberto elaborated on the motivation behind the program in a news release.

“Most of us have been in situations where money or transportation make life harder than it needs to be,” Ruberto said.

“If we can help bring more families together on Christmas, then this initiative will be more than worth it.”

Addressing financial and safety concerns

Ruberto also emphasized the company’s broader mission, noting its founding principle was road safety.

“We started Uride to prevent impaired driving,” Ruberto said.

“Helping people get home safe and be with the people they care about is why we do what we do.”

Speaking to CTV News on Wednesday, Ruberto said the program is a direct response to current economic pressures.

“A lot of people – it’s like it’s tough financially during this time,” Ruberto said.

“You should be able to go spend time with your family, with your friends and your loved ones, and you shouldn’t have to stress about the cost if you are struggling.”

He added that if a ride exceeds the $25 credit, the rider would be responsible for the remaining small amount.

The company says it hopes the initiative will ensure transportation is not a barrier to holiday celebrations.

“The point of this is just to make it a little bit easier for people and bring more families together during Christmas,” Ruberto said.

The company, founded in 2018, now operates in 27 cities across the country – including North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury and Timmins in northern Ontario. All of Uride’s operating cities will have the Christmas Day ride program available.

With files from CTVNorthernOntario.ca journalist Angela Gemmill

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