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Township urged to consider providing accessible transit By Liz Dadson |
Huron-Kinloss council To Comment on this article Click Here |
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Huron-Kinloss council is being urged to consider providing accessible transportation to its residents. Ruth Anne Robinson, who lives in the township, told council last night (Nov. 7) that she is a senior citizen and the caregiver for her 90-year-old mother and her handicapped husband. "The lack of accessible and affordable transportation in Huron-Kinloss is a serious problem," she said. She is the one who drives her mother and her husband, Norm, to events and appointments. In April of this year, Norm had his right leg amputated and ended up in a wheelchair. Since their van is not wheelchair accessible, Robinson called various services to get Norm to appointments. Among those services were the Saugeen Mobility and Regional Transit (SMART), at a cost of $13.60 per ride, the Bruce County ambulance at a cost of $45 to get Norm to the hospital, and another accessible service that was more costly to get to rehabilitation in Owen Sound. Finally, Norm was home to stay, but their problems had just begun, said Robinson. "He felt well enough to attend a neighbour's 93rd birthday party but we had no way of getting him there," she said, "and the SMART service was not available in Huron-Kinloss." After checking with deputy clerk Joanna Malott at the township office, and spending hours contacting various agencies, Robinson came to the realization that there was no possible to way to get anywhere in a wheelchair except to medical appointments, unless you had a wheelchair-accessible van. The Robinsons' son was home from New Brunswick and helped them get Norm into the van but it was a three-person job, said Robinson. Eventually, Norm was able to walk using a prosthesis and no longer in a wheelchair, so the family wasn't dependent on public transportation to get around. "But what if something happened to me?" asked Robinson. "He wouldn't be able to attend Kincardine Day Away because SMART doesn't serve residents in Huron-Kinloss, and Easy Ride will go to Wingham but not to Kincardine." She presented council with a petition of 90 signatures, indicating support for accessible transportation in Huron-Kinloss. "Please give this matter some serious consideration," she said. Roger Cook of SMART, also urged council to become partners in this transportation service to the benefit of the township residents who need it. He said the disability transportation is for people who, because of physical or mental challenges, cannot use conventional transit or local taxi services. Last year, SMART provided 21,373 rides (one-way trips) to individuals and groups. The specialized transportation service is expensive, using adapted vehicles which are costly to purchase and maintain. "Municipal services like SMART are not simply expenditures," he said. "They are investments in building livable communities." Currently, the partners in the SMART service are Kincardine, Arran-Elderslie, Brockton, Hanover and West Grey, with the agency based in Hanover.
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The baseline revenue is a
complicated feature that ensures investment from local municipalities
in order to maintain provincial funding for the service, said Cook. Individual clients are charged a base rate of $2 plus 80-cents/kilometre subject to a minimum charge of $6.80 per ride, said Cook. Larger vehicles are more expensive. Based on Huron-Kinloss Township's population, the membership fee would be just over $11,000 for the year, Cook said. In year two, depending on the number of rides, the fee would increase, and again in year three, likely peaking at $20,000 to $25,000, he said. The basic service would be for mentally and physically challenged individuals, said Cook, but if the township wanted to do so, it could augment the service for seniors. Statistics Canada notes that the population across the country is aging, especially in rural areas, said Cook. In response to these demographics, communities in Grey and Bruce counties have been adding a considerable number of new housing units for their aging residents. "A safe, dependable and affordable transportation service for those residents is going to be a critical part of their quality of life and their being able to remain independent for as long as possible," he said. "We strongly believe that public services should be provided at the best, most efficient level possible. It is crucial that different government agencies, both local and provincial, make the best use of existing service infrastructure." In response to a question from council, mayor Mitch Twolan said the matter has been discussed at Bruce County council but the county is not prepared to get into the mobility transit business at this time, because various municipalities and private businesses are already providing the service. Twolan thanked both Robinson and Cook for their presentations, and council agreed that during 2012 budget deliberations, it will consider the provision of accessible transportation. Scrolling stops when you move your mouse inside the scroll area. You can click on the ads for more
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