Advancing Transportation Equity, MnDOT District 6, September 2020
Participants in several conversations discussed volunteer driver programs. Volunteer driver programs are a lower-cost transportation service provided by local governments, human service providers, transit providers, and community organizations, typically for nonemergency medical appointments and other purposes such as running errands. Volunteer driver programs are used by people who need services in areas where other forms of transportation are more expensive or not available. Most often, volunteer driver programs are in small communities in Greater Minnesota where dedicated transit services may not exist. However, some programs are also available in urban settings.1
Organizations match volunteer drivers with those in need of rides for a wide range of purposes, including shopping, errands, education, recreation, and nonemergency medical appointments. Volunteer drivers usually receive limited reimbursement from the organizations for their mileage. In Minnesota, the drivers must report as taxable income any reimbursement amounts greater than the standard charity rate of 14 cents per mile, a rate that falls short of what is needed to cover total vehicle costs.2 Regarding insurance, Minnesota law requires that drivers who provide transportation (such as Lyft and Uber drivers) carry insurance that recognizes they use their vehicle to transport passengers for compensation.3 The law is currently unclear as to whether volunteer drivers are expected to have the same insurance coverage as ride-hailing drivers.
A few participants specifically highlighted that volunteer driver programs are heavily relied on for getting people to medical appointments. In a few conversations, participants said it has been difficult to find more volunteer drivers even though demand for the service is increasing. Reasons cited for the decline in drivers include aging volunteer drivers, drivers’ worries about insurance requirements, and low reimbursement rates.
“Many drivers are older. Some programs have gone away from volunteer drivers because of accidents with significant injuries and some liability problems.”
1 “Volunteer Drivers’ Program in Minnesota: Benefits and Barriers,” Frank Douma, 2017. https://conservancy.umn.edu/handle/11299/189303
2 Minnesota Department of Revenue on volunteer drivers and taxes: https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/individuals/individ_income/Pages/VolunteerMileageReimbursement.aspx
3 https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/65B.472 requires that drivers who provide transportation (such as Lyft and Uber drivers) carry insurance that recognizes they use their vehicle to transport passengers for compensation.