By Nadie Eagles-Harvie
The Hants Journal
NovaNewsNow.com
West Hants Dial-a-ride will host a series of public meetings throughout West Hants to explore public transportation in rural communities.
The five-month research project will include public input with a focus on demand and cost of expanding the service.
“What we are looking for is to see if there is a need for public transportation in these communities and if it is affordable,” said Hants County CAN (Community Access Network) Researcher, Jason Harvey
Operating on a shoestring budget and relying solely on volunteer drivers, Dial-a-ride has offered accessible and affordable, transportation to West Hants residents since 2001. The program provided 661 rides in its fist year. Last year that number swelled to almost 3,000.
To Hants County CAN Executive Director Mike Little, Dial-a-ride is an essential service that needs to grow.
He said Kings Transit serves a very small segment of the population for West Hants.
“We would like to reach those areas Kings Transit can’t. Basically, what we are looking to do is pick up where the Kings Transit leaves off.”
Including, for example, Vaughn, Scotch Village, and Summerville. “This could be an ideal feeder service for Kings Transit.”
But to make it work Dial-a-Ride may require a third van to add to the two purchased earlier this year. A funding partnership with the municipality could help to ride keep costs at a minimum.
“Can we charge the same rates as Kings Transit? No,” Little said. But “we are giving the best value we can.”
And compared with alternatives, Dial-a-ride is affordable.
A return trip to Halifax would cost a rider $50 using Dial-a-Ride, while a taxi could cost $75 one way and an ambulance would cost more than $700.
Little said for seniors or those with mobility issues, such as Harvey, a public bus in not always ideal.
Harvey said if it were not for Dial-a-Ride he may not be employed today. He used Dial-a-Ride five days a week to get to work in Windsor from his home in MacKay Section. “They were excellent; it’s a very one-on-one transportation system. I felt secure, safe and at ease which is very important to many users of the service.”
Little said so far the response from Municipal Council has been positive. “Expanding could be a risk for us but if we can purchase another van and do a pilot there is very little risk for the municipality. The worst-case scenario is we stop the service and sell the van.”
Little said he hopes the community meetings will give both council and Dial-a-Ride the green light.
The first meeting will take place March 25 at 7 pm in the Poplar Grove Community Hall in Avondale.
