Kincardine council has agreed to purchase a van in order to expand Saugeen Mobility and Regional Transport (SMART) services beyond the current hours.
The purchase of a nine-passenger van will allow SMART to provide enhanced accessible transportation services, on a trial basis, until midnight Monday through Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays.
Currently, the SMART operates 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 7 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. There is no Sunday service.
Deputy Mayor Andrea Clarke said the proposal was supported by the Accessibility Advisory Committee.
"One of the key factors that came out from committee members who have lived experience with accessibility, is that it certainly has been an issue to get anywhere without extended hours," she said. "This is almost bringing it back to where it was pre-pandemic. During the pandemic, hours were cut and for a number of these individuals who are not able to access rides in any other capacity, it has made getting around somewhat challenging outside of more conventional hours."
The $200,000 needed to purchase the vehicle would mostly be funded by a contribution from the Equipment Replacement Reserve Fund, but around $40,000 would be added to this year's levy.
Staff said the approval of the trial program would bring the proposed tax rate to 8.26 per cent. The 2025 budget has yet to be adopted.
As part of the agreement, the municipality would own the van, which Councillor Mike Hinchberger said could provide more opportunity down the line.
"Some around the table have expressed reservations about this proposal on the grounds that what we really in the area is a transportation service that helps not only those that meet the SMART eligibility criteria... but also those who might, because of their socio-economic conditions, have access to their own transportation," he said. "A vehicle owned by the Municipality provides clearer paths to delivering this scenario than does attempting to overhaul the SMART operating model."
SMART will be required to report the trial statistics to assist council in determining the program's effectiveness going forward.
