From the Mayor of Brockville – Community Update: Para Transit

I’ve spoken to several residents who were very concerned about the future of our Para Transit system. A lot of their concerns were based on misinformation circulating in the community. Allow me to provide an overview.

City council will be making a decision on Tuesday about whether to operate Para Transit with city-owned vehicles and city-employed drivers as opposed to continuing to contract out the service. Current drivers would hopefully consider applying to fill the roles if they wish to become City employees.

We are not in any way, shape or form considering eliminating the service.

If approved, the service will offer comfortable, fuel-efficient vehicles fully equipped with the same type of lift users are accustomed to.

As the city has a fleet of transit vehicles, there will always be backup vehicles, and if a larger para bus is needed, we will have it available.

The plan includes the return of a full-time dispatcher position which has been eliminated by the current contractor. That will provide better access to booking by phone. We would also look at an online booking system – in addition to the phone-in option – to make it easier to book a reservation at any time.

This approach to Para Transit would appear to offer several improvements and reduce the cost to the taxpayer – allowing us to preserve, sustain and enhance a service so many residents rely on.