The City of Methuen has been awarded $80,766 to have a local taxi service help with deliveries from food pantries and provide transportation to medical appointments, grocery stores, pharmacies and public transit stations for seniors, individuals with disabilities, veterans and low-income households.
The money is part of $2.5 million in grants awarded to 47 communities, agencies, transit authorities, nonprofits and health and human service providers to prop up private transportation harmed by the current health pandemic. MassDevelopment and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council are proving the money through the Taxi, Livery, and Hackney Transportation Partnerships Grant Program.
Methuen will use the grant to contract with Methuen High Class taxi.
“Getting the most fragile Massachusetts residents to work, grocery stores, medical appointments, shelters and other critical destinations and creating new business for taxi and livery companies makes these grants special in the time of COVID-19,” said MassDevelopment President and CEO Dan Rivera.
The Commonwealth’s Transportation Infrastructure Enhancement Trust Fund was signed into law by Gov. Charlie Baker in 2016 and is supported by a 20-cent assessment on every transportation network company ride in Massachusetts. One-quarter of the money is being designated to MassDevelopment to provide financial assistance to small businesses operating in the taxicab, livery or hackney industries.