Section 1: Overview

Other Differences

A formal volunteer driver program differs from a voucher program in other ways. For example, a formal volunteer driver program may be more involved in recruiting, vetting, and managing drivers. This includes verifying driver’s licenses, registration, and insurance. The CIL may also be responsible for scheduling volunteer drivers to give rides to consumers. In this case, the sponsoring agency takes on much more liability than a transportation voucher program and usually carries additional insurance. Transportation voucher programs are typically more hands-off with volunteer drivers, for both capacity and liability reasons.

Making a Decision

Deciding between a transportation voucher program or a comprehensive volunteer driver program is ultimately up to you. Volunteers are always a core component of a voucher program, but sometimes recruiting other transportation providers isn’t possible or realistic. You can make this decision easier to navigate by starting with a very small-scale volunteer driver program. As you try to build relationships with providers and experiment with your program, it will become apparent if a formal volunteer driver program or a fully-fledged transportation voucher program makes the most sense for your CIL. You will either have the capacity and the right providers in your area, or you won’t.

If you decide to pursue a formal volunteer driver program rather than a transportation voucher program, much of this toolkit is still relevant and helpful. Simply ignore all the content about external transportation providers. Additionally, there are resources dedicated to formal volunteer driver programs, such as the Volunteer Drivers Guide developed by the Washington State Department of Transportation, as well as other resources from the Rural Health Information Hub.