Claremont
The resumption of the service comes about a month after the Community Alliance of Transportation Services shut down the operation Sept. 9 for financial reasons. Thibault also said the volunteer driver program that served all of Sullivan County will resume operating as well.
On the day the service ended, Southwestern said it would take over the operation but needed some time to get it up and running.
Thibault said the state Department of Transportation transferred its contract for the bus service to SCS last week and his organization anticipates the six drivers and the dispatcher who worked for the Alliance will drive for SCS. However, he added that the route serving Newport will be delayed a week because that driver is away.
“The state has been incredibly helpful in transferring everything over,” Thibault said.
SCS will operate the service from an office on Charlestown Road in Claremont where it runs a Head Start program. The Alliance office was on Route 11-103 in Newport.
“We are right now trying to get the phone service transferred over,” said Thibault.
The Alliance’s interim director, Valerie Bailey, said in the weeks leading up to the Sept. 9 shutdown, that annual operating losses the last three years averaged $100,000.
Bailey also said they were not able to raise enough money locally to meet the required match for federal dollars.
With just one service offered by Alliance, Bailey said, the overhead costs could not be sustained.
At SCS, Thibault said they have the administrative structure already in place so there will not be a need to hire full-time personnel for the bus service.
“We can assimilate the service into what we already do,” Thibault said.
The contract between the DOT and SCS expires June 2017.
Thibault said in the coming months SCS will reach out to the communities benefiting from the bus — Claremont, Newport and Charlestown — to seek either continued or increased support, or a new commitment.
Charlestown provided $14,000 in its budget this year and Newport voters approved $5,000 in a warrant article at Town Meeting. The county kicked in $25,000 but Claremont did not contribute any money. On Sept. 9, the Claremont City Council voted unanimously to support the new arrangement but did not propose a dollar amount.
“We want to enhance our (local) support,” Thibault said, adding that they also will look to area employers and the towns where residents use the driver service.
“Increased local support and less administrative costs should carry the day,” Thibault said about making the operation work financially.
Most of the riders use the bus for shopping, medical appointments and work.
