No, your rider does not need a phone to use HopSkipDrive. As a Caregiver, you will receive updates about the ride via text, and can monitor the ride using the Caregiver app, but the process is designed so that the rider does not need an app to use HopSkipDrive. You can learn more about the identity verification process here.
If you would like your rider to receive text updates about their rides, you can choose to add a phone number to their rider profile. Learn more about how to add a phone number to a rider profile here.