“It’s been a lot of work,” he said. “By the end of this week we’ll be live in the entire state, not just in the big cities. And so the limiting factor is just going to be interest by drivers.

"If drivers have reached out, signed up and gone through the onboarding process and gotten approved, we can start the process of giving rides in Hamilton or Drummond or Wolf Point or wherever.”

Gebhardt declined to share how many drivers have signed up, but he said the company feels comfortable that anyone who wants a ride will be able to get one.

“We’ve seen a lot of excitement from drivers and a lot of engagement,” he said. “We think we have what we need to provide safe rides for folks.”

Gebhardt said he won’t know how much an average Uber driver makes an hour in Missoula or Montana until the stats from the first few months get recorded.

“Every city is different, but we feel pretty confident that they’ll make enough that they’ll be happy with the opportunity,” he said.

Gebhardt said that there also won’t be a problem with having enough drivers wanting to be ready after 2 a.m. to give intoxicated people a ride from bars to their homes.

“Typically, the drivers we talk to are interested when they know there’ll be demand,” he said. “They’re willing to drive late at night knowing they won’t have to wait too long between rides, versus driving in the middle of the day and maybe having to wait 20 or 30 minutes.”

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