Wellington North Council will consider becoming a municipal partner in a non profit transit service for those with special needs.
Council will consider a $20,000 cost during coming budget deliberations to become part of the Saugeen Mobility and Regional Transit (SMART), which runs a similar service in Arran-Elderslie, Brockton, Hanover, Kincardine, and West Grey.
Manager of Transit Services Roger Cook met with council Monday to discuss the service and possible township participation in it.
The service was brought to council’s attention at its January meeting by Wellington County Ward 3 Councillor Gary Williamson and resulted in Monday’s presentation. Cook told council the service is funded through Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO) grants, municipal grants, and ridership charges.
“It’s an on-demand public transit system where clients pre-register and we arrange for a ride to get them where they need to go,” Cook said of the service, which consists of 13 minivan type vehicles.
The service is operated by the Town of Hanover which has established a trust fund for MTO grants that are used to cover operation costs and any deficit the service might accumulate.
According to Cook, the MTO sets a baseline for operations which in 2010 was $415,000.
“Once we’ve passed that number, then we become eligible to tap into that trust account for operational expenses or deficits,” Cook told council.
SMART is a non-profit independent organization governed by participating municipalities that contribute to its operation, based on ridership. In 2009, SMART provided approximately 22,000 rides. As of October last year, the system had provided 17,798 rides and had 424 active clients.
Currently, clients are charged a base rate of $2 plus 80 cents per kilometer subject to a minimum charge of $6.80 per ride. The client can have one attendant ride for free. If a driver is required to wait for a client, a waiting charge of $17 an hour is applied. A ride is determined as going from point A to point B with any return considered a second ride. However, Cook said, higher ridership could result in reduced costs to users.
Costs to participating municipalities vary. In 2010, West Grey was expected to provide $29,672 in its allocation based on a ridership of 592. Cook said the $20,000 Wellington North would put into the service is based solely on population because in its first year no ridership figures are available. Cook estimated a Wellington North service could see 125 riders in its first year.
The service, he added, would operate from 6am to midnight, seven days a week and would pick up riders from all parts of the township. Cook said SMART also provides transportation services to larger groups from nursing or seniors’ homes if required.
Cook said because of MTO funding requirements and municipal participation, the service is a secure operation.
“This organization is going to be there,” he said. “Nobody is going to pick up the phone and find out we’re not there because of bankruptcy.”
Mayor Ray Tout said he has heard from township residents interested in the plan since it was first announced that council was considering it.
“The feedback I’ve gotten over the past week is that the need is certainly there,” the mayor said.
“It’s going to take homework and number crunching,” he said before final approval is given by council.
