Holding its annual general meeting last week on March 29, the Rockyview Regional Handibus Society announced that it continues to grow in ridership and with respect to Cochrane, aims to have a seat at the table to talk transit.
“We’re busier than ever with another 18 per cent increase in municipal ridership,” said executive director Paul Siller, adding that this is the fourth consecutive year of double digit percent ridership increases.
The handibus provides transit services for persons who are unable to drive due, largely due to medical reasons or physical impairments. The buses are fully equipped to carry passengers facing all barriers and are the only para-transit option in town.
With over 400 of their 1,000 registrants being Cochranites, Siller is “very grateful” that town council opted to bump up its lagging municipal contributions to the service through the 2017 and 2018 budgets, including an increase this year of $21,187 to keep up with population growth.
There are two streams of handibus service – municipal ridership and school contracts, for a total of more than 24,477 trips last year; of this, 4,386 trips transported Cochranites.
“We have increased our service hours by 15 per cent … what it comes down to for us as we look forward is that we have been so busy taking our clients to dialysis (and other medical appointments) that we have had very little time for fundraising,” said Siller, adding that the society is launching their major capital fundraising campaign for new buses by mid-April.
The society receives no government funding and is funded through per capita funding from their municipal partners in and around Rocky View County and private donations.
Coun. Tara McFadden, reneging on her personal commitment to slow down how many committees she sits on this term, is the first Cochrane council representative to take a seat on the society’s board.
She is also on the town’s transit task force and is hopeful her dual role will keep the handibus society in the loop, as their services will inevitably be impacted if Cochrane gets some form of buses on the road.
“Forty per cent of the people making use of the handibus service are from Cochrane. It’s time for us to step up and take a leadership seat at the table,” said McFadden, emphasizing that after attending her first meeting she can confirm “they don’t waste a dime … they are all focused on service delivery.”
To donate or learn more, visit rockyviewbus.ca.
