City Council Approves Bringing Para-Transit Back In House

Brockville – At Tuesday night’s Brockville City Council meeting, councillors approved moving Para-Transit back under city operation as part of Brockville Transit.

Mayor Matt Wren said in a Facebook post last night, “This was a difficult decision, discussed at a standing committee and two Council meetings and after a great deal of discussion with community members and the City’s Accessibility Committee.”

“As I said at the beginning of this evening’s discussion, we want to be abundantly clear: each and every member of Council and city staff want to ensure that a reliable and high-quality service is provided for all those who rely on it. In fact, there was no discussion tonight about costs (we’d already had that discussion). The focus was on service and taking great care to make this change as seamless as possible for users. ”

According to the Mayor, users will continue to be able to book by phone, the same way they do today, and the city will be hiring a full-time dispatcher to take the calls.

The city will also be purchasing two new wheelchair-accessible vans, which will be converted hybrid vans, with the ramp entry having a very shallow slope. They will have a larger para-bus as a backup for situations the van can not handle. Cost of the new vans at an estimated cost not to exceed $220,000, funded by debenture, in accordance with the in-house Para-Transit service plan.

Part of the approval includes a 2023 operating budget staffing increase in the amount of $34,943 funded by the Transit Reserve to hire a Transit Service Coordinator for November and December 2023 and four transit drivers for December 2023.

The cost to use the Para Transit service will not change, it will be the same fare as using the conventional transit.

The Mayor said that they will be closely monitoring the transition and the new operation to ensure high levels of service.

The current contract with Voyago for Para-Transit services has come to an end and Mayor Wren said that the council had to either put out a request for proposals and award a contract to the lowest bidder, or take the opportunity to bring the service back in-house.

“It’s important to note, this change is not a reflection on the current operator. We thank them and the dedicated drivers for the service they’ve provided in the community. We hope the drivers may consider applying for the new positions we will be recruiting for.” said Wren.