District of Clearwater has agreed to fund the “social bus” that operates between Vavenby and Kamloops for another year.
Acting on a recommendation from the joint services advisory committee, town council last Tuesday voted to budget up to a maximum of $14,000 for the service.
Interior Health cancelled its weekly Health Connection bus to Kamloops in 2010. That bus was primarily for those with medical appointments but also was used by those without appointments on a seats-available basis.
Northern Health continues to run its weekly Health Connections bus from Valemount to Kamloops, but it is strictly limited to those with medical certificates.
Clearwater teamed up with Thompson-Nicola Regional District to operate the service on a trial basis in 2011.
There were 739 riders (one way) from Feb. 1 to Nov. 29, director of finance Sheila Thiessen reported to council.
Clearwater is paying 30 per cent of the cost of the service, said director of finance Sheila Thiessen. Barriere is paying 20 per cent and the TNRD 50 per cent.
Part of the motion was that staff continues to seek funding through grants or agreements with funding partners.
Mayor John Harwood noted that Yellowhead Community Services, which operates the bus under contract, has been looking for support from agencies such as the United Way.
The joint services advisory committee also agreed that the social bus service will change from Tuesdays to Thursdays.
The committee handles services, such as the bus and the Sportsplex, that are the responsibility of both the municipality and the regional district.
Chief administrative officer Leslie Groulx commented that the Northern Health bus also travels on Thursdays but carries an average of just four persons per month from the Vavenby to Barriere area. Changing the social bus to Thursdays therefore would not affect the Northern Health bus’ ridership.