Bancroft Community Transit wants to help people get around during this new lockdown.
Director of Operations Gwen Coish says they want to provide a safe, affordable and essential transit system. Because of this latest lockdown, they felt the need to get the word out of what they do. BCT has launched 5-day a week bus service that connects Bancroft as well as Maynooth, Cardiff and Coe Hill. Coish says they want to expand operations to Mcarthurs Mills and Faraday in the near future. In addition, they are offering free transportation for vaccine appointments and groceries. She wants the community to use them for these essential services. She says that the busses are clean and social distancing will be in place, plus the bus fair is free.
The transit system was founded by community care 2010, and BCT took over in 2017. The biggest challenge for the BCT is getting users to the bus stop, according to Coish. In offering rural transportation, the BCT deals with a large geographic area. Cosh praised her dispatch staff, calling them essential for doing all the scheduling. Because the cost of the service is so great, they can’t service too many places. However, they do have shuttles to their fixed bus stops. For funding, the BCT receives Gas Tax revenue, and their grocery shopping and delivery is funded by United Way. Wollaston, Hastings Highlands and Bancroft all pitch in to fund the system as well. More recently, the Community Transportation Grant allows them to run the 5-day service. Coish says the learning curve was tight, as they had to write the book themselves for delivering transit to North Hastings. But she adds it feels like they’re making it work.
For details about pickup times and services, visit their website.