Elderly on the go, but not behind wheel

Non-drivers trade cars for rides in Maine idea that’s spreading

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Margaret Emmons had not driven in more than 20 years. So when her husband died last fall, she had no use for their 1997 Ford Taurus.

Rather than sell it or give it away, she decided to trade it for rides through the Independent Transportation Network. Now, all she has to do is call for someone to come and give her a lift, perhaps even in her old car.
“It’s what saves me,” Emmons, who is 80, said after returning from the grocery store on a snowy day. “I’d be sunk without it.”

Launched a decade ago, the Portland, Maine, area’s Independent Transportation Network provided 15,200 rides to senior citizens last year with no taxpayer money for operations.

AP