Fewer routes and longer waits for the bus will result from a funding reduction for New Castle’s public transit.
The Indiana Department of Local Government Finance cut New Castle Transit’s proposed budget for 2016 by $53,000. New Castle Clerk-Treasurer Christy York said the transit budget submitted to the state totaled $433,484 and the state cut it to $380,437.
“They’ve cut out a couple of buses and it’s really hard on people,” a 46-year-old caller to The Courier-Times, who wished to remain anonymous, said. “For example, this morning I called to get a pick up but I won’t get picked up for another hour. It’s just getting harder for people to use the buses to get to where they need to go.”
The unnamed caller said she uses the bus daily to get to doctor and other appointments and to travel to and from the grocery store. She said she has no car. Changes in the way the bus service is operated are creating hardships for herself and others like her.
New Castle Transit manager Doug Sloan said he and his staff are doing the best they can with money and resources available.
“My first priority is the New Castle Transit and the public,” Sloan said. “Due to the budget cut we lost a driver position from uptown, which caused us to go down to two routes instead of three routes. Because of that it does tend to take a little longer to get to everybody and we can’t get to as many people every day as we did before.”
Besides the driver who was cut, another driver recently transfered out of the Transit Department, leaving Sloan even more short-handed.
“I am trying to get that position filled and get more drivers in here so we can get this back up to where we need to be,” Sloan said. “My goal is to give the public the best service that we can possibly give them. That will always be the case as long as I’m here.”
In 2015, New Castle Transit provided nearly 58,000 rides. Sloan said that number will likely decrease this year.
York confirmed the transit service eliminated one full-time driver. Savings from that salary combined with the driver’s benefits almost made up for the loss in revenue mandated by the DLGF, she said. The balance is coming out of the city’s General Fund.
York also said efforts are underway to secure enough drivers, either full-time or part-time, to meet the department’s needs.
Persons with at least a class “C” CDL with a public passenger endorsement may contact Sloan at 765-521-6847 if interested in possible employment.
New Castle Transit operates buses from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. There are no established bus stops. To request a ride, call 765-529-8113.
Rides cost 50 cents for senior citizens, handicapped persons and students or $1 for other people.
