Hut's Transit asks the town for help

By Michael Gorman

THE VANGUARD

NovaNewsNow.com

Yarmouth's local bus service is feeling the financial pinch and asking the town for help to stay on the road.

In a letter to the town council Gary Hudson, the owner/operator of Hut's Transit, said he could no longer afford to continue offering the service without increased support from the town. Hudson already receives $40,000 a year from the town to help with the costs of running the service and he is asking for an increase, possibly as much as double.

"Increasing costs are forcing me to forego a salary for myself in order to continue to keep these vehicles on the road," he said in a letter addressed to the mayor and councillors. Hudson said the service's total revenues only cover 65 per cent of his costs. As a result, he is forced to "work elsewhere to provide an income for (his) family."

There was much talk about what to do last week during a meeting of the town's finance committee. While councillors generally supported the service and recognized the need for it, there was also some talk that perhaps the service is unsustainable in its current form and needs to be revisited. Hudson's 2008 financial forecast predicts a loss of $40,000.

And although it was believed that the service might be able to access some funding because of its high use by seniors, this was not viewed as a long-term solution.

Hut's Transit features two vehicles: an 18-passenger bus from 2000 and a van from 2003 that is used to ensure continuous operation and Hudson estimates that he will need to replace both of them within the next five years.

The service runs Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Bus fare is $2.75, something they try to keep low so as not to compete with taxis. Hudson's estimates put his ridership somewhere around 12,500 people for last year, a number that has remained consistent. Of his riders, he estimates about 90 per cent of them to be seniors. Hut's Transit is not eligible for any government subsidies because it is a private operation.

There was some talk about trying to partner with the other units to provide a broader service that was more advertised or some other tweaking or change to how the service is offered.

However, for all the talk of possible partnerships and tweaking, the mayor said he believes the program is sustainable as is, providing some kind of balance can be worked out between a possible fare increase and a new funding formula.

Crosby said part of that comes back to convincing levels of government that Hudson's service is as deserving of funding as any other.

"What's the difference between a public transit or transit that's being subsidized by the community? It's the same thing," said Crosby.

Councillor Esther Dares agreed.

"This is a provincial responsibility, transportation. We need help with this . . . This would (help) meet their green plan."

Crosby likened the situation to the P-3 deals that are sometimes popular with governments. The mayor said he would be pursuing the matter this week when he is Ontario for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' executive meeting.

"There's got to be some way where these private transits that work in the town and the town subsidize it — they should be qualified for some amounts of monies."

The value of the service depends on whom you ask. But as Hudson's statistics show, his service is especially important to area seniors or others who would otherwise have difficulty getting around town.