Safe Ride Home Form

The safety of our residents is our top priority. We recognize that long work hours can increase the risk of fatigue-related road traffic accidents. The Safe Ride Home Program is a joint project from PGME and our partner hospitals to ensure safety and fatigue risk management for our residents.

For residents who drive their vehicle to work but feel too fatigued to safely drive their vehicle home after working an extended shift related to on call duties, this program will reimburse University of Ottawa residents for a safe ride-home services (such as taxis or ride share (Uber & Lyft)) to travel from the hospital to their home residence and return the next day to retrieve their vehicle.

Eligibility & Restrictions

• This program applies to all PGME residents at the University of Ottawa.
• The resident’s taxi/ride share ride home is eligible for reimbursement if they have worked an extended shift related to on call duties and determined to be too fatigued to safely drive home, or as related to extenuating circumstances that are adjudicated on a case-by-case basis. To note: A regular shift in the emergency department (including night shifts) is not eligible.
• The journey must be within Ottawa or Gatineau city limits.
• Reimbursement is for travel home and return to the hospital the following day to retrieve your vehicle.
• Starting point must be any one of the following PGME learning sites: Bruyère Health, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), Montfort Hospital, The Ottawa Hospital, or The Royal Ottawa.
• In general, the destination will be the resident’s home. Other destinations will be reviewed for approval.
• Costs for overnight parking will be the responsibility of the resident and must not be included in the amount eligible for reimbursement.
• This program is not intended to cover taxi/ride share reimbursement as per the PARO-OTH agreement (Section 19.7) for out of hospital call – Travel Reimbursement - PGME | Faculty of Medicine.
• Requests for reimbursement must be submitted within 30 calendar days following the use of the taxi/ride share (Uber & Lyft) home.
• The maximum tip amount must not exceed 18% of the total fare cost.
• Requests must be for services used on or after May 1st, 2025.
• Requests will be reviewed and monitored to determine if there are systemic issues occurring that would be better managed by changes within programs to address fatigue and resident wellness.

Please note that this is a pilot program, therefore requirements and particularities may change 6 months after its implementation (October 2025).

Please complete the information below to process your reimbursement.