Prince William County seniors soon may see a return of shuttles to ferry them to local senior centers.
The county Board of Supervisors is considering partially restoring the vans, which would transport seniors to and from the area’s centers at a cost of $1 per ride.
“We’re not going to be able to restore the full service because of the tough budgets that we’ve had for the last few years,” Board Chairman Corey Stewart said on Wednesday. “But we’ll be able to restore basic shuttle service to the senior centers.”
Courtney Tierney, director of the area agency on aging, presented the new plan to the supervisors, which would allow for two vehicles and drivers starting as soon as April.
The county previously had operated four shuttle vans, but the supervisors voted unanimously to scale back transportation services for seniors last year in favor of more in-home care.
The vans were replaced by a system of taxicab vouchers to be used for trips to the senior centers and to health care providers — a service not offered under the previous shuttle system.
“The first priority is looking out for those low-income seniors who need transportation to their medical visits,” Stewart said.
But not everyone is happy with the new system.
“Citizens have expressed discontent with vouchers, especially those that want to get to the senior center more regularly,” Tierney said.
The vouchers are limited, making daily trips to the senior center impossible for most.
The board had asked Tierney’s department for a solution to the problem in the wake of the complaints, while stipulating that solutions could not cost any more.
Tierney said she hoped that the new shuttles would alleviate many of the current problems. But she acknowledged that not everyone would be satisfied.
“We cannot meet everyone’s needs, and we cannot make everyone happy,” she said.
Stewart said that he and other supervisors support Tierney’s new van plan and likely will adopt the system at next week’s meeting.
