The Rocky View Regional Handibus Society continues to struggle with their funding gap with Cochrane, rendering the future of their services for their nearly 400 users in town uncertain.
According to general manager Paul Siller, the handibus is in need of bringing their per capita costs for all partnering municipalities to $6.70 next year. Other municipalities are currently paying $6.20 while Cochrane is only paying $5.20.
“The challenge for us is do we stick our necks out for another year for Cochrane and risk other municipalities withdrawing their funding?” posed Siller.
“Cochrane isn’t keeping up and other municipalities are complaining about it.”
The handibus provides transportation services to more than 850 registrants, namely seniors and persons with disabilities, in Cochrane and Rocky View County.
The society does not receive government funding and is reliant on community partnerships, grants and private donations.
They receive their funding from partnering municipalities: Cochrane (386 active registrants as of Sept. 2016), Rocky View County (201), Chestermere (94), Crossfield (51), Irricana (11), Beiseker (11) and 15 active registrants noted as “other.” These numbers have increased since the third quarter report.
Services ceased in Carstairs last year, as part of a pilot project.
As per the draft budget, the request for 2017 is $168,317, far more than the proposed $122,437 included in the draft.
In 2016, $120,037 was granted by Cochrane; this year’s proposed increase works out to less than two per cent.
When the handibus undertook the initiative to provide a para-transit service to the region, it was estimated the program would cost $10 per capita from partnering municipalities, in addition to passenger fees.
At that time, five years ago, the service was running at $3.80/capita and the board determined that a jump to $10 was unattainable, opting to phase-in the increases.
According to the Canadian Urban Transit Association’s 2015 report, the provincial average is $25.35/capita for the region and $12.21/capita for comparably-sized communities serviced by Rocky View Handibus.
The society estimates that the Cochrane demand will increase by 15 per cent and their 2016 third quarter report cites an overall 11 per cent jump across the region.
Cochrane’s 2016 funding allocation, according to Siller, translates to Cochrane only paying for services through the end of October this year; the proposed funding for next year by Cochrane would result in services only paid up until September of next year.
He said it’s an unsustainable model that the society cannot maintain operating at – and it should come as no surprise to Cochrane, as administration has “had these numbers for three years”.
Learn more at rockyviewbus.ca.
